TUESDAY MEASLES UPDATE: DPH Reports No New Measles Cases Since Friday, Outbreak Total Remains 997

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Apr. 7, 2026

COLUMBIA, S.C. ― Today, the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) is reporting no new cases of measles in the state since March 17, keeping the total number of cases in South Carolina related to the Upstate outbreak at 997.

There currently are no people in quarantine or isolation. If no new cases are reported, the last day of the outbreak will be April 26.

Moving forward, unless there is a new case, DPH’s reporting rhythm for the duration of the outbreak will be the following: weekly updates on Tuesdays; biweekly media briefings, with the next one on April 15; and a concluding media briefing on Monday, April 27, the details of which will be provided closer to the day.

There will be no measles media briefing this week or the week of April 20, and the Friday updates will be discontinued.

If a new case is reported, DPH will immediately notify the media and resume briefings and updates as appropriate.

A period of 42 days with no new cases is required to declare an end to a measles outbreak. This is double the number of days for an incubation period (21 days) and a clear indicator of a broken transmission chain.

Vaccination continues to be the best way to prevent measles and stop this outbreak. Vaccines are available at many primary care provider offices and pharmacies, as well as DPH Health Departments.

To stay up-to-date on the latest measles outbreak information, visit our dedicated webpage here. For additional data related to the outbreak, visit our Measles Dashboard.

Outbreak Data Points
Age breakdown of 997 cases:
Under 5: 264
5-17: 639
18+: 87
Unknown: 7

Vaccination status:
932 unvaccinated, 20 partially vaccinated with one of the recommended two-dose MMR sequence, 26 vaccinated with the two-dose MMR sequence, and 19 unknown.

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