South Carolina DPH Funds 3 Health Workers After 997-Case Measles Outbreak
Updated
Updated · KNSI · Jul 2
South Carolina DPH Funds 3 Health Workers After 997-Case Measles Outbreak
2 articles · Updated · KNSI · Jul 2
Summary
More than $100,000 from the CDC Foundation will fund a five-month Spartanburg County project to hire three community health workers, two from the local Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking community, to counter vaccine hesitancy.
The outreach push follows a nearly seven-month outbreak that ended April 27 after 997 documented infections, about 90% of them in a 15,000-person Ukrainian- and Russian-speaking community centered around Spartanburg County.
State records show the outbreak spread quickly through low-vaccination schools, households and Slavic churches; Global Academy of South Carolina had just 21% of students up to date on school vaccines in 2025-26.
DPH said no church in the affected community agreed to host a vaccination event during the outbreak, underscoring officials' conclusion that trust-building and culturally specific outreach must start before the next crisis.
The effort mirrors lessons from other U.S. measles outbreaks in close-knit undervaccinated groups, as CDC officials warn such outbreaks are broadening beyond isolated communities.