The South Carolina Department of Public Health will deploy a mobile measles vaccination unit to Spartanburg County in response to the measles outbreak in Upstate South Carolina.
The mobile health unit will provide free measles-mumps-rubella vaccinations to the public. According to DPH, the more people vaccinated against measles will help stop the spread of the highly contagious viral infection.
The mobile health unit’s scheduled stops include:
- Oct. 16 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church at 445 S. Church St. in Spartanburg
- Oct. 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Mt. Moriah Baptist Church at 445 S. Church St. in Spartanburg
- Oct. 20 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Boiling Springs Library at 871 Double Bridge Road in Boiling Springs
- Oct. 22 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Wellford Baptist Church at 235 Syphrit Road in Wellford
- Oct. 23 from 2 to 6 p.m. at Dr. T. K. Gregg Community Center at 650 Howard St. in Spartanburg
As of Oct. 14, there have been 12 confirmed cases of measles in Spartanburg County and 16 total cases in South Carolina since July.
Read more about the Upstate measles outbreak
The current outbreak in Spartanburg County is connected to two schools: Global Academy of South Carolina, a public charter school, and Fairforest Elementary, a public school in Spartanburg County School District 6. According to DPH, 139 students from the schools remain in quarantine due to exposure.
The measles incubation period can be up to 21 days, from exposure to onset. Someone infected with the virus is contagious four days before and after experiencing a rash. The virus can also remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person leaves a room or vehicle.
Measles’s symptoms include a cough, fever, running nose and red eyes. Those infected will also experience a rash that spreads from the face to the rest of the body.
For more information, visit dph.sc.gov/diseases-conditions/infectious-diseases/viruses-parasites-bacterial-infections/measles-rubeola.
