South Carolina senator pushes to end religious exemptions for measles vaccine

SOUTH CAROLINA — South Carolina Sen. Margie Bright Matthews proposed a new bill that would end religious exemptions measles vaccines in the state.

The bill would remove the religious exemption for the MMR vaccine, while preserving “legitimate medical exemptions,” according to the proposal.

The push comes amid an ongoing outbreak in South Carolina that represents the largest surge in the region since U.S. officials declared measles eliminated in 2000. The South Carolina Department of Public Health is currently reporting 920 confirmed measles cases statewide.

In North Carolina, Union County confirmed its first case of measles Monday. Health leaders say the child, who does not attend Union County Public Schools, was at the AFC Urgent Care along Independence Boulevard on the evening of Feb. 3. Officials say you also could have been exposed to measles if you were at Vista Auction on Jan. 29 or 30 or the Lidl on Monroe Road on Jan. 30.

There have been six other confirmed cases in the area: three in Mecklenburg County, two in Cabarrus County and one in Lincoln County.

More than 95% of the cases in this outbreak involve unvaccinated children.

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