By Siddhi Mahatole and Mariam Sunny

Jan 14 (Reuters) – Vaccination rates in some South Carolina schools have dropped to as low as 20%, raising concerns about potential measles outbreaks, state epidemiologist Linda Bell said on Wednesday.

“The concern is that these pockets within even the Spartanburg County area, for example, there are schools that have vaccination coverage that is as low as 20% in some particular school settings,” Bell told reporters during a measles briefing.

The South Carolina health department reported 434 measles cases related to the ongoing outbreak in the state on Tuesday, 124 additional cases since its last update on Friday.

The widening outbreak has been reported in the northwest part of the state, which includes Greenville and Spartanburg, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health.

“What’s going on in Spartanburg County now is the best example of how even small pockets of under-vaccinated people can result in widespread transmission for this highly infectious virus, finding every susceptible person in a population, regardless of what the overall vaccination coverage is,” Bell said.

Measles is a highly contagious viral infection that causes symptoms such as fever, cough and a characteristic rash. It can also lead to severe complications like pneumonia and encephalitis.

It is preventable when countries attain a 95% vaccination coverage rate. That is the level needed for a community to achieve herd immunity and protect those who are unable to receive the vaccine, which is 97% effective after two doses.

Two doses of MMR vaccine are required for school entry in South Carolina, a state that has seen sharp declines in vaccination rates since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In selected schools, vaccination coverage is lower, and in certain pockets of communities, we may see more intense transmission because of the vaccination coverage there,” Bell added.

(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole in Bengaluru; Editing by Alan Barona)

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