By Siddhi Mahatole
Jan 21 (Reuters) - The ongoing measles outbreak in South Carolina could remain for weeks or months amid slow vaccine uptake, the state epidemiologist warned on Wednesday, as new infections
and public exposures raise the risk of wider spread.
"The current trajectory where we are seeing double-digit cases that are newly identified each day ... is very concerning," state epidemiologist Linda Bell told reporters during a briefing, adding that the outbreak may drag on for "potentially months more" if there's no change in protective behaviors.
South Carolina's health department on Tuesday reported 646 measles cases tied to the outbreak, an increase of 88 since Friday, with at least 538 people in quarantine after being exposed to the virus.
Fresh public exposures were reported at Clemson and Anderson universities.
Bell said that although the uptake of vaccinations in the community was encouraging in the first month or so of the outbreak, it has slowed since.
She said families cite a range of reasons for avoiding measles shots, including doubts about effectiveness, general hesitancy toward immunization and exposure to misinformation about side effects.
In response to the spread in the upstate region last week, the health department deployed its Mobile Health Unit to provide free measles‑mumps‑rubella and flu shots. But Bell said vaccination uptake has been "relatively low."
Higher vaccination coverage would help prevent the virus from "bleeding out into adjoining communities," she said.
Additionally, the state health department said 10 people have required hospitalization for complications of the disease since the outbreak started.
The outbreak, which began in October, is centered in the northwest part of the state, which includes Greenville and Spartanburg.
(Reporting by Siddhi Mahatole, Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru and Julie Steenhuysen in Chicago; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)
