This week Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Stephen Thacker about the first, confirmed case of measles in SC in 2025. Dr. Thacker is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and a pediatric infectious disease specialist at MUSC Children’s Health.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, measles cases in the U.S. have reached the highest level in 33 years. Doctor Stephen Thacker is here to provide an update about measles and measles vaccination rates, specifically in South Carolina. Doctor Thacker is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and a pediatric infectious disease specialist at MUSC Children's Health. Doctor Thacker, tell us about measles.
Dr. Thacker: Well, measles is one of the most contagious viruses that we know and infects about 90% of those who are at risk and get exposed. It's spread through the air when someone coughs or sneezes, and the virus can hang around in the air for sometimes upwards of two hours. And the symptoms that it usually causes are high fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, and a rash that can spread downward, usually starting on the face. And while it may seem like a simple childhood illness, it can be very serious, especially for young children.
Conner: What's the latest update about the spread of measles in recent months in the U.S. and recently in South Carolina?
Dr. Thacker: Many of us may have seen in the news that there's been more measles cases in 2025 than any other year since this contagious virus was first declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. Most of these cases this year have been tied to an outbreak in the southwest that began in January in West Texas and now has spread to several surrounding states. At this point, we've diagnosed cases in about 39 states, including South Carolina, recently identifying its first case locally. And this involves an unvaccinated person from the upstate region of South Carolina who had traveled internationally and was exposed.
Conner: Does this case of measles in the upstate of South Carolina mean that this is the start of a local outbreak of measles in our state?
Dr. Thacker: No. Great question. This case from the upstate does not reflect a local outbreak. The individual was again an unvaccinated resident who recently returned from travel, and they're currently isolating at home with our South Carolina public health officials completing contact tracing for exposures.
Conner: Tell us about the measles vaccination.
Dr. Thacker: Measles vaccine is currently part of what we call the MMR vaccine, a combination vaccine, and is incredibly effective. Two doses are around 97% effective at preventing the measles infection, and we usually give the first dose around 12 to 15 months of life when we're young children. And, then the second dose around 4 to 6 years of age. It's a safe vaccine and we know it saves lives.
Conner: What can you tell us about the vaccination rates for measles in South Carolina?
Dr. Thacker: Probably the most impactful rates are those related to the children in our state. So, what we know is in South Carolina, two doses of the MMR vaccine is required for school entry for kindergarten through 12th grade. And for the 2023 to 2024 school year, we know that 92.1% of kindergarten students had met that threshold of two doses of the MMR vaccine, and was down from 95% in the 2019 to 2020 school year. And while these numbers are relatively high, they fall short of this threshold for herd immunity at 95%. And herd immunity is this idea that we can protect those that can't safely receive a vaccine by having enough members of our community, vaccinated and protected, to keep them safe. And so even a small dip in vaccine coverage can have big consequences on our local communities here in South Carolina.
Conner: Doctor Thacker, thanks for this information about measles.
Dr. Thacker: You're welcome.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
