State encourages people to get vaccinations

If you or your children haven’t ever had a vaccination for preventable diseases like measles, it’s time to consider it, state officials say.

The back of someone infected with measles. Credit: CDC via Wikimedia.

On Wednesday, the S.C. Department of Public Health confirmed the state’s first case of measles since September 2024. Also this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the nation has its highest number of measles cases in 33 years.

“Measles is highly contagious and a serious disease caused by a virus that affects the respiratory tract. This virus spreads quickly, which is why we must act now to prevent its spread,” said Dr. Linda Bell, the state epidemiologist.

According to health officials, an Upstate resident reportedly was exposed to measles during an international trip. The person is currently isolated at home to prevent the spread of the virus. The person was unvaccinated and did not have immunity from a previous measles infection.

Having measles can lead to hospitalization and even death, officials said. Initial symptoms include fever, cough and a runny nose, followed by a rash which usually lasts five or six days. The best way to avoid infection is to get vaccinated, the agency said. The measles vaccine is more than 97% effective.

Officials described measles as being eliminated more than 25 years ago. But these days as anti-vaccination advocates have rallied against vaccinations for preventable diseases, vaccination numbers are down and measles cases are rising, particularly in Texas.

“It is proven that the best way to prevent measles is by vaccination,” Bell said. “I strongly encourage everyone to review their immunization records to make sure they are up to date on all vaccinations and to talk with their health care provider about the benefits and risks of getting vaccinated.”

According to the CDC, “every vaccine helps the body’s immune system learn how to fight germs. It typically takes a few weeks for protection to develop after vaccination, but that protection can last a lifetime,” other than for seasonal vaccines for flu or Covid-19, which may require annual boosters.

“It is always better to prevent a disease than to treat one after it occurs,” the agency said. “Vaccination is a safe, highly effective, and easy way to help keep your family healthy.” More info.

Time to check your voter registration

State officials have marked nearly 170,000 South Carolina voters as “inactive” on the state’s voter rolls after they failed to verify their registration information.

The State Election Commission (SEC) mailed address confirmation cards in April to more than 191,000 registered voters who had not voted or updated their registrations since 2020. The group represents about 5% of the state’s nearly 3.5 million registered voters.

Voters were asked to confirm their address on the cards and mail them back to the SEC office within 90 days. Only about 23,000 did.

“The business of running elections doesn’t end on Election Day,” SEC Executive Director Howie Knapp, said in a WCBD TV report. He went on to say that the process of marking voters as “inactive” was a “critical tool” to ensure accurate and up-to-date voter rolls.

“It’s one of the many ways we safeguard the integrity of our elections and ensure every eligible South Carolinian can vote with confidence,” he added.

Inactive voters are still eligible to vote, but they must reconfirm their address before participating in future elections. Inactive voters remain on the list for two general election cycles before being removed.

The next statewide elections in South Carolina are in November 2026. You can verify that your registration is up to date on scvotes.gov. – Skyler Baldwin

In other headlines this week

State Education Department seeks financial control of Marlboro School District. S.C. Superintendent Ellen Weaver said the Department of Education wants to take over the financial operations of the Marlboro County School District, citing the district’s failure to meet its fiscal responsibilities and provide a stable operational plan for the 2025-26 school year.

At least $84M for S.C. schools tied up in Trump funding freeze. School districts in South Carolina could miss out on millions of dollars that were expected to come from the federal government this year.

S.C. second in nation for risk of meat contamination, report says. According to a report from Trace One, a regulatory compliance software company for the food and beverage sector, South Carolina has the nation’s second-highest risk index of contamination, 67.85, only beaten by Georgia, which has a risk index of 69.05. A higher score indicates greater contamination risk.

S.C. hospitals stand to lose $2.4 billion in federal Medicaid assistance by 2043. South Carolina’s 60 general care hospitals will lose about $150 million per year over the next 15 years under new Medicaid rules signed into law by President Trump last week, according to a state hospital group. The cuts are seen as a major threat to cash-strapped rural hospitals across the state.

Infrastructure investments to generate $56 billion impact, study says. A study conducted by economists at the University of South Carolina, determined that infrastructure investments across South Carolina are expected to generate a $56.2 billion impact on the state’s economy over a seven-year period.

GOP senator launches bid for state attorney general. Republican Sen. Stephen Goldfinch, 43, is the first to officially enter the wide-open 2026 race to be South Carolina’s top prosecutor. The attorney general’s race is open for the first time in 16 years, as incumbent Alan Wilson, first elected in 2010, makes a bid for governor.

Former state legislator dies at 92. Former longtime Aiken County state lawmaker Roland Smith was laid to rest on Saturday, remembered by Gov. Henry McMaster for his “lifetime of service.”

State, utility leaders say S.C. heading toward ‘nuclear renaissance.’ McMaster recently compared South Carolina’s position in leading the way for a nuclear revival to the car in the poll position for the start of the Darlington 500 Race.

Charleston is no longer at the top of Best Cities list. For the first time in 13 years, Charleston dropped out of the travel magazine’s No. 1 spot, falling not one, but two spaces to third. Travel + Leisure readers voted Santa Fe as the top city in the U.S. this year, with New Orleans coming in second.