Overview
- The CDC counts 2,012 U.S. measles cases as of Dec. 23, the highest in more than 30 years, spanning 50 outbreaks across 44 jurisdictions.
- South Carolina reported 179 cases as of Dec. 30, including 20 new infections since Friday, with 287 people in quarantine and ongoing spread in homes, schools and churches.
- Roughly 93% of infections involve people who are unvaccinated or of unknown status, about two-thirds are children, around 11% have been hospitalized, and at least three deaths have been recorded.
- Health departments issued exposure alerts tied to infectious travelers at Newark Liberty and Boston Logan airports, with contact tracing underway and guidance for potentially exposed passengers.
- Persistently low MMR coverage among schoolchildren, below the ~95% needed for community protection, and transmission sustained since around Jan. 20 put the U.S. at risk of losing elimination status by late January 2026.