The CDC reported 4,852 measles cases in the United States between January 1 and October 30, 2026 — the highest count since the 1989–1991 outbreak. South Carolina accounted for 997 of those cases, and more than 93% of the people infected there were unvaccinated. That outbreak ended April 26 after an aggressive vaccination campaign, but the national numbers are a wake-up call for communities everywhere, including ours here on the Suncoast.
Behind the statistics are families with very different experiences. Christine Castle’s sister Fonda was harmed by rubella before vaccines existed. Dr. George Haddad Jr., a professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville, said he never saw measles in training or practice until this outbreak. And Deidre Downs shared her daughter Shaylee’s rare ITP reaction to the MMR vaccine — a blood-clotting disorder the CDC says occurs in about 1 in 40,000 vaccinated children. “It doesn’t feel like a rare occurrence when it happens to your child,” she said. All three families urged parents to bring their questions to a trusted physician.
The stakes are real on both sides: about 1 in 1,000 measles cases develops encephalitis, which often causes permanent brain damage, and herd immunity requires more than 95% community vaccination. Two doses of MMR offer the strongest protection. What questions do you have about vaccines for your family, and who do you turn to for answers?
