Measles Outbreak Leaves Unvaccinated Babies Vulnerable in South Carolina

Dropping vaccination rates erode herd immunity, putting infants at risk of deadly complications from the highly contagious virus

Apr. 10, 2026 at 9:52pm

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A minimalist design in the style of Keith Haring, with a glowing neon outline of a baby bottle against a dark background, conceptually representing the fragility of unvaccinated infants during a measles outbreak.As vaccination rates decline, unprotected infants become the most vulnerable to the dangers of a measles outbreak.Landrum Today

A measles outbreak in South Carolina has become the nation's worst in more than 35 years, leaving babies too young to be vaccinated as 'sitting ducks' for the highly contagious virus. Doctors are working to protect the youngest patients by offering the MMR vaccine as early as 6 months old, but state officials have been slow to provide guidance, and proposed legislation could further reduce vaccination rates.

Why it matters

Babies depend on herd immunity to protect them from measles, but dropping vaccination rates in South Carolina and across the U.S. have eroded that protection. Unvaccinated infants are at high risk of developing life-threatening complications like pneumonia and brain swelling from the measles virus.

The details

The South Carolina outbreak, totaling about 1,000 cases, has been centered in Spartanburg County, where less than 90% of students have received required vaccines. Doctors have started offering the MMR vaccine to infants as young as 6 months old, earlier than the usual 12-15 months, to try to protect the most vulnerable. However, state officials have not disclosed how many infants have been infected or hospitalized due to the outbreak.

  • The South Carolina measles outbreak began in early 2026.
  • By baby Arthur's 9-month checkup, the outbreak had become the nation's worst in more than 35 years.
  • In the first three months of 2026, the U.S. logged 1,671 measles cases, 73% of the total from 2025, the worst year for the virus in more than three decades.

The players

John Otwell

A parent who was concerned about taking his infant son to a 'hotbed' Costco store during the measles outbreak.

Dr. Deborah Greenhouse

A Columbia pediatrician who said babies become 'sitting ducks' during measles outbreaks when vaccination rates drop.

Dr. Jessica Early

A pediatrician who began offering the MMR vaccine to infants as young as 6 months old to try to protect her patients and her own baby during the outbreak.

Thomas Compton

The regional director of Miss Tammy's Little Learning Center, a child care network that saw 18 parents pull children out and had to lay off a teacher due to the measles outbreak.

State Sen. Carlisle Kennedy

A Republican state senator who introduced a bill that would prohibit requiring vaccines for children under 2 years old.

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What they’re saying

“We go to the Costco that was kind of a hotbed. A lot of people just don't get it; they think it's just a cold. It's not.”

— John Otwell, Parent

“Babies become sitting ducks. The burden is on all of us to protect all of us.”

— Dr. Deborah Greenhouse, Pediatrician

“In other words, it would get rid of those requirements in the day cares. And for people like me, that is a gut punch that is terrifying.”

— Dr. Deborah Greenhouse, Pediatrician

“We didn't want to put vaccines in his body before his body was able to survive them.”

— State Sen. Carlisle Kennedy

“I would never forgive myself if I knew that my son had gotten another baby very sick and it was something I could have prevented.”

— Helen Kaiser, Parent

What’s next

Doctors expect the measles outbreak to continue worsening across the U.S. as vaccination rates decline. Federal health officials will determine in November whether the U.S. has lost its status as a country that has eliminated measles.

The takeaway

This measles outbreak highlights the critical importance of maintaining high vaccination rates to protect the most vulnerable, including infants too young to be vaccinated. Proposed legislation that would further reduce vaccination requirements threatens to erode herd immunity and put more lives at risk.