South Carolina health officials say a measles outbreak in the state is “accelerating.”
“The factors that are contributing to the increased number of cases include gatherings around the Thanksgiving holiday,” said Linda J. Bell, South Carolina’s state epidemiologist.
Since Friday, the state has reported 27 additional measles cases, bringing the total linked to an outbreak first identified in October to 111. Health officials said about 250 people are currently in quarantine after possible exposure, and 16 are in isolation.
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Cases have been traced to households, churches and schools, officials said.
Health authorities continue to urge vaccination as the strongest protection against measles. More than 100 of the confirmed cases are in unvaccinated individuals, according to the state.
Children are routinely vaccinated for measles at 12 to 15 months and again between ages 4 and 6. Infants as young as 6 months can receive the vaccine if they are considered at risk.
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According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles causes the following symptoms:
- Pneumonia
- Brain Damage
- Blindness
- Deafness
- Diarrhea
- Premature birth or low-birthweight baby (in unvaccinated pregnant women who contract measles during pregnancy)
- Measles infection leads to loss of immunity to other deadly diseases
The World Health Organization says that herd immunity against measles can be reached when a community achieves a 95% vaccination rate. U.S. health officials estimate that 92.7% of kindergarten students were vaccinated last school year.
