The number of measles cases associated with an ongoing outbreak in South Carolina jumped by 27 over a single weekend, bringing the outbreak total to 111 and the state’s total for the year to 114, according to a press release from the South Carolina Department of Public Health.

In a December 10 news briefing, state epidemiologist Linda Bell, MD, said that the surge in cases between December 5 and 8 may be partly in response to Thanksgiving travel and reduced vaccination rates. However, 16 of the 27 new cases have been linked to previous exposures through the Way of Truth Church in upstate South Carolina, according to the press release. Another eight new cases involved household contacts of known cases; other links included school exposure and one known exposure in a healthcare setting.

In the wake of the recent spike in cases, the South Carolina Department of Public Health has notified individuals potentially exposed at the Inman Intermediate School in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, which serves children in grades 3-5. As of December 10, 43 students from that school had been quarantined but were scheduled to return to school on December 15 if they were not ill. A total of 254 individuals were in quarantine, and 16 were in isolation as of December 10, according to the press release. Students from nine other schools in the region have students in quarantine from earlier in the outbreak, Bell said in the press briefing.

Vaccination continues to be the best prevention against measles, and receiving vaccination within 72 hours of exposure has been shown to prevent measles infections, Bell noted in the press briefing. She also emphasized the value of vaccination among the general public as a way to protect those who are not able to be vaccinated. 

“With each new case in an undervaccinated population, more cases can arise because of the contagious nature of the disease,” she said.

The state’s public health strategy to control the outbreak involves working with leaders in communities that have been most impacted, identifying cases and contacts as early as possible, and continuing to educate the public about the risks of measles and the benefits of vaccination, Bell said in the press briefing.

The Department of Health continues its guidance that potentially exposed individuals contact a healthcare provider before seeking care to allow for planning to reduce the risk for transmission in clinical settings, according to the press release.

The CDC currently recommends two doses of measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine for children aged 12 months to 6 years, and one to two doses at least 28 days apart for older children, teens, and adults without evidence of immunity. Measles vaccination is also recommended for anyone traveling internationally who has not been fully vaccinated.