Health And Human Services Responds As Hundreds Of Measles Cases Confirmed In South Carolina

Hundreds of measles cases have been confirmed in South Carolina, surpassing the number of infections from an outbreak in West Texas this past summer.

As of Tuesday, 789 cases were reported in South Carolina. So far, 18 people, including children, have been hospitalized for complications from the disease. No deaths have been reported.

At the height of the Texas outbreak, 762 cases were reported. That outbreak, which was tied to two deaths of school-aged children, was declared over back in August.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is supporting South Carolina’s response to the outbreak by providing $1.4 million in requested aid. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is also working closely and regularly with state health officials.

The vast majority of those infected in South Carolina — an estimated 88% — are unvaccinated against measles. In Texas, too, the vast majority of those infected were unvaccinated or had no documented measles vaccination: more than 94%.

The surge in cases in numerous states has sparked outcry from some advocacy groups, who are blaming HHS and its leader, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy.

Protect Our Care, for example, projected “MEASLES HQ” on the D.C. HHS building on Tuesday, according to The Hill. Another message said, “RFK JR: MAKING AMERICA SICK AGAIN.”

Notably, however, the CDC still recommends children receive the measles vaccine as part of the routine childhood immunization schedule. The immunization comes in the form of the MMR shot, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella.

“Under Secretary Kennedy, CDC surged resources, and multiple states declared measles outbreaks over in 2025,” HHS Press Secretary Emily Hilliard said in a statement. “Vaccination remains the most effective way to prevent measles, and the Secretary has been clear and consistent on this point. All vaccines on the CDC schedule, including MMR, remain covered by insurance, so families do not need to pay out of pocket to get vaccinated.”

“Additionally, the U.S. continues to fare better than Canada, Mexico, and Europe in overall measles burden,” she added. “This is an international problem.”

The decline in overall vaccination rates predates the Trump administration, and that’s due to the botched job of public health officials during the COVID pandemic, Hilliard argued.

“Declines in measles vaccination rates and erosion of public trust began well before this Administration,” she said. “Public confidence in health institutions was significantly undermined during the COVID era, particularly in states that imposed prolonged mandates and delivered inconsistent messaging. Those effects continue to be felt today.”

Related: RFK Jr. Orders Major Overhaul Of Childhood Vaccine Schedule