South Carolina has already seeded cases across the country, including some in neighboring North Carolina, which has reported 15 cases. In Washington state, three members of a South Carolina family visited King and Snohomish counties while infectious, leading to three cases there. Like elsewhere in the United States, more families in South Carolina are seeking exemptions from routine childhood vaccinations for religious reasons. Still, the South Carolina outbreak highlighted the need for public health officials to build trust in some close-knit immigrant communities more resistant to vaccination. Varadi has also volunteered her own services as public health officials develop a more formal vaccine outreach plan.

Source: Washington Post February 01, 2026 01:02 UTC