U.S. measles cases continue to climb, with outbreaks across the country

"The U.S. has now confirmed 1,563 cases this year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the highest annual number in more than three decades. But the true total could be even higher, says Dr. Paul Offit, director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "If you talk to people on the ground, including not only in Texas, but other states, they all say the same thing, which is that the numbers are much worse than that. Probably closer to 5,000 cases," Offit says. "And it's not done.""

"He points to the current outbreak in South Carolina, where more than 150 unvaccinated schoolchildren at two schools are now subject to a 21-day quarantine after being exposed to measles. The state Department of Public Health this past week reported the eighth confirmed measles case since Sept. 25. Public health officials say it's not clear if that new case, in Greenville County, is linked to seven cases that are part of a current outbreak in neighboring Spartanburg County, S.C. "What this new case tells us is that there is active, unrecognized community transmission of measles occurring," Dr. Linda Bell, South Carolina's state epidemiologist, told reporters during a briefing Thursday. She said that makes it vital that the public receive the recommended measles vaccination."

Confirmed U.S. measles cases reached 1,563 this year, the highest annual number in over three decades. Experts warn that actual case counts may be substantially higher, potentially approaching 5,000. Outbreaks continue in multiple states, including a South Carolina cluster prompting 21-day quarantines for over 150 unvaccinated schoolchildren and an ongoing Arizona–southwestern Utah outbreak. Utah has reported 55 cases this year, nearly all in unvaccinated people, with six hospitalizations. Wastewater testing in Utah indicates wider viral spread than previously recognized. Public health officials emphasize the importance of receiving the recommended measles vaccination.

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