South Carolina seeks non-CDC reinforcements to contain growing measles outbreak

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

February 24, 2026 6:05 AM EST Updated 2 hours ago


Feb 24 (Reuters) - A dozen public health experts are arriving in South Carolina to help the state contain the largest U.S. measles outbreak in more than 30 years, but they're not coming from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The South Carolina Department of Public Health told Reuters it has requested personnel from the nonprofit CDC Foundation instead. The foundation is an independent entity created by Congress to support the CDC through charitable contributions and grants from individuals, corporations and other organizations.

Dr. Linda Bell, South Carolina's epidemiologist, said the foundation will provide at least 12 infectious disease experts to work full-time in the state for several months, "increasing our capacity for case investigation, contact tracing and data management." Some staff began working with South Carolina last week, according to the foundation, and more are scheduled to start next week. The foundation is typically used as an auxiliary group to bolster the CDC response to an outbreak, but does not usually replace CDC staff, three former agency officials said.

Under the administration of President Donald Trump, the CDC has faced a diminished role and has been without a permanent director since August. In South Carolina, childhood immunization rates have declined in recent years as local political leaders and parents criticized the CDC's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and pushed back against COVID-related lockdowns and vaccine mandates. Amid the current measles outbreak, South Carolina’s Republican governor, Henry McMaster, has championed personal choice on vaccines.

Seeking assistance from the CDC Foundation "may be much more politically palatable than asking CDC to help," said Dan Jernigan, former director of the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. In response to a large measles outbreak in Texas last year, a CDC official said the agency had deployed at least 15 personnel to assist state health officials. The CDC Foundation said Texas didn't request additional support.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/south-carolina-seeks-non-cdc-reinforcements-contain-growing-measles-outbreak-2026-02-24/

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The GOP loons there were given a solution. Instead, they spit on it and drop-kicked it away. Now the innocents in the state have go suffer.

All during the worst of the COVID pandemic, the medical community would continually compare COVID against what was considered one of THE worst viruses in terms of speed of spread. Charts and charts and charts were shown like the below -



But...

[mercuryblues]

1. Maybe they should try

Praying away the measles?

[LisaL]

2. Make Measles Great Again.

Among other infectious diseases.

[BaronChocula]

10. MAGAA

Measles
Are
Going
Around
Again

[progressoid]

7. I saw a few yard signs during covid that suggeted that tactic.

[mwb970]

3. The Death Cult is not interested in saving lives.

Quite the opposite, in fact.

[groundloop]

5. I'm sure their only concern is low/no taxes for the ultra rich and large corporations.

They still have access to the best healthcare, the rest of us will have to use go-fund-me when we get seriously ill.

[BaronChocula]

11. Unless it's a subset of the death cult

where lives are under threat. Like those states that support defunding FEMA... then desperately need FEMA.

[lark]

4. This is incredibly stupid! In the 1960's we were thrilled to be able to stop the measles.

By the time we could get vaccinations (on a sugar cube at first) I had already had measles 3 times (there were lots of different types) and nearly died from the German measles. I had a temp of 105 and dr said too dangerous to move me so parents put me in the bathtub and dumped loads of ice on me. This is what is coming back due to reich wing assholes who are trying to kill us!!!

[lonely bird]

6. More politically palatable?

MAGA is a suicide pact.

[Farmer-Rick]

8. My mother had permanent hearing loss

Due to measles as a little girl.

So even if it doesn't kill you it can cause a lot of damage.

[OldBaldy1701E]

9. South Carolina? You mean that bastion of MAGA insanity? THAT South Carolina? (n/t)