Measles Outbreaks Spread, Forcing Hundreds of Kids into Quarantine
Health officials in several states are battling new measles outbreaks, resulting in hundreds of unvaccinated students being quarantined.
- In northwestern South Carolina, 153 unvaccinated children are under a 21-day quarantine after exposure to the virus in Greenville and Spartanburg counties.
- In Minnesota, 118 students in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area are quarantining after being exposed to a separate outbreak.
The quarantines mean three weeks of remote learning as families monitor for symptoms such as fever, rash, cough, and red, watery eyes.
"Communities are having to bear the price of quarantining so many children,"
said Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.
The South Carolina Department of Public Health reported one new case in Greenville County with no known connection to the seven cases in neighboring Spartanburg County.
Author's summary: Measles outbreaks force hundreds of kids into quarantine.