Frustration grows amid measles outbreak quarantines across several states
South Carolina’s measles outbreak has expanded to 15 cases, state health officials reported Friday, a slight increase from a few days ago.
The new cases are among those who were exposed to the virus at school but developed symptoms while in quarantine. It’s unclear whether they are adults or children, but 139 students are still currently in quarantine in the state.
“We are fortunate that those we have identified as being exposed to measles are complying with our quarantine guidelines during the time they cannot expose others,” South Carolina epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell said in a statement to NBC News.
Those who are not vaccinated against measles are recommended to stay home, away from others, for a 21-day quarantine. That’s how long it takes to develop measles symptoms – high fever, red eyes and rash – after being exposed.
“We recognize that quarantine is a challenge for families and communities, and we continue to strongly encourage vaccination, which would make quarantine unnecessary due to the decades-long proven effectiveness of the MMR vaccine,” Bell said, referring to the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
As measles continues to appear in parts of the United States, the possibility of exposure to this highly contagious virus persists. At least 1,596 cases of measles were confirmed in 2025, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it’s unclear how many people were quarantined.
In Ohio, where five cases have been reported in the central part of the state over the past two and a half weeks, the quarantine of 122 people is expected to end Friday. A one-year-old child had to be hospitalized for several days after developing pneumonia.
Quarantine disruptions are causing some reluctance in affected communities.
“For a lot of people in our community, they’re frustrated, like, ‘Why don’t you just get your child vaccinated?’” Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner of Columbus, Ohio, said in an interview. Exposures to measles, including one at an early learning center late last month, triggered the 21-day quarantine, she said.
“When you make the decision not to vaccinate your child or to delay vaccination, you not only impact your child and your household. You can impact the entire community,” Roberts said. “It’s a ripple effect that I think the average person making this decision doesn’t understand.”
In the Minneapolis-St. In the Paul region, 118 children are now back in school after being exposed to an outbreak of 20 cases of measles. Their quarantine ended Wednesday, according to a spokesperson for the Minnesota Department of Health.
Still, public health officials are preparing for future outbreaks.
“We actually anticipate that more cases could arise,” Bell said during a press briefing Thursday. “The measles virus will not be contained in schools, in school districts or at the county level.”
“What concerns me is that this continues to happen, that this becomes our new normal,” Roberts said.
Children who have received the MMR vaccine are not required to quarantine if exposed. According to the CDC, two doses, given around age 1 and again around age 5, are 97% effective in preventing measles infections.
