Unvaccinated South Carolinians can get a measles shot for free at mobile vaccine clinics rolling across Spartanburg County this week and next amid an ongoing and growing outbreak.
The state’s public health agency is offering the free shots as officials urged the unvaccinated to get a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
“We just continue to emphasize everyone to please take advantage of getting protection … as quickly as possible,” state epidemiologist Linda Bell said.
The number of measles cases statewide reported so far this year rose to 16 this week, the highest number since the disease was eradicated more than two decades ago.
All 16 people were unvaccinated, and none had immunity from a previous infection, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Health officials are now warning unvaccinated patrons of a Greenville gym, which offers day care for customers, that they may have been exposed.
The health agency reported a confirmed case in a Greenville County child last week. Bell said officials don’t know how the child contracted the disease and the child might have spread the virus to others.
“We don’t want anyone to have a false sense of security,” Bell said. “We want people to be aware that we have evidence of transmission in the community. So, exposures can be unexpected, can be unpredicted.”
Officials urged the parents of any unvaccinated children at the Crunch Fitness’ location at 1332 S. Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sept. 30 to see their health care provider.
“This is an ongoing investigation and that facility is working with us to provide the names of the children who may have been dropped off at that facility during the timeframe,” Bell added. “We have not yet confirmed the vaccination status of the (other) children who were there at the same time.”
A dozen of the other cases to date are directly linked to an outbreak centered around two Spartanburg County schools: Fairforest Elementary School, which is part of Spartanburg School District 6, and Global Academy, a public charter school, department officials said.
The five newest diagnosed cases are among the 139 students of those two schools who remain quarantined at home after being exposed to the virus, meaning it is less likely those children have spread the virus to others.
South Carolina requires all children enrolled in school, both public and private, to be up to date on vaccinations, though there are exemptions granted for religious or medical reasons.
Spartanburg County, the center of the outbreak, has one of the lowest vaccination rates among school children in the state, according to health department data.
More than 8% of Spartanburg County’s 58,000 students received a religious exemption during the 2024-2025 school year, by far the most of any county in the state.
“Another concern in particular about this low coverage in the school districts in the Upstate is that they are also have among the highest enrollment in the state,” Bell said.
About the disease
Measles symptoms usually start with a fever, cough, red eyes and runny nose, followed by a rash that typically begins on the face before spreading to the rest of the body. The rash can last up to a week.
Severe cases of the virus can cause pneumonia or brain swelling, which can be fatal, especially in young children, according to the public health department.
The virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after a sick person passes through a room, making it possible to get sick without directly interacting with an infected person. Those exposed are expected to stay home for 21 days, which is how long the virus can stay in a person’s body before they realize they’re sick, Bell said.
The two-dose vaccine has been in use for decades and provides lifelong immunity to nearly all who receive it. Side effects, including soreness or an allergic reaction at the injection site, are possible.
“But what we want people to pay careful attention to is that the complications from the disease itself far outweigh any rare adverse events that might be associated with the vaccine,” Bell said.
Up to 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the measles will get the virus, she said.
An unvaccinated person exposed to the disease can potentially avoid getting sick or have a more mild reaction to the virus if they receive a dose of the vaccine within 72 hours of exposure, Bell said.
Mobile vaccine clinics
- Thursday, Oct. 16: 2-6 p.m. at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 445 S. Church St., Spartanburg
- Friday, Oct. 17: 1-4 p.m. at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church, 445 S. Church St., Spartanburg
- Monday, Oct. 20: 2-6 p.m. at Boiling Springs Library, 871 Double Bridge Rd., Boiling Springs
- Wednesday, Oct. 22: 2-6 p.m. at Wellford Baptist Church, 235 Syphrit Rd., Wellford
- Thursday, Oct. 23: 2-6 p.m. at Dr. T. K. Gregg Community Center, 650 Howard St., Spartanburg
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