GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — In response to a measles outbreak in South Carolina, the Guilford County Division of Public Health is expanding access to the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine to protect residents and prevent the disease from spreading.
The health department is offering extended-hour, offsite immunization clinics at community locations to make it easier for residents to get vaccinated. The MMR vaccine protects against measles, a highly contagious virus that spreads through direct contact and the air, and is especially important for safeguarding vulnerable populations such as newborns, cancer patients, and individuals with weakened immune systems.
Measles symptoms typically appear seven to 14 days after exposure and can include high fever, cough, runny nose, red and watery eyes, white spots inside the mouth (Koplik spots), and a red, blotchy rash that spreads from the face to the rest of the body. The virus can remain in the air for up to two hours where an infected person has been…