Increase funding and resources for vaccination campaigns, targeting areas with low vaccine uptake.
Pandemics
Pandemics Risk
Assessment for this date
The current pandemic risk is high due to rising measles cases in South Carolina, increasing flu and RSV activity, and persistent challenges in vaccine uptake and misinformation.
February 7, 2026
Trend
Viewing the record for February 7, 2026 within the full trend.
Risk Drivers
What is pushing the current reading.
The resurgence of measles in South Carolina, with cases nearing 1,000, highlights significant gaps in vaccination coverage and public health response, exacerbated by misinformation and political influences. Concurrently, flu and RSV activities are rising in the US, indicating a challenging respiratory virus season. Despite the availability of effective COVID-19 vaccines, uptake remains suboptimal, particularly among older adults, which could lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Furthermore, misinformation continues to undermine public trust in vaccines, complicating efforts to control outbreaks. These factors collectively elevate the pandemic risk to a high level.
Risk Reduction Actions
Priority actions generated from the current analysis.
Enhance surveillance and reporting systems for early detection and response to infectious disease outbreaks.
Educate patients on the importance of timely vaccinations and address vaccine hesitancy.
Counter misinformation by disseminating accurate information about vaccines and their benefits.
Engage local communities to build trust and encourage participation in vaccination programs.
Sources Monitored
Visible feeds used in this category's nightly run.
Selected Articles
Supporting articles referenced in the latest score.
- Large share of older US adults haven’t had a recent flu or COVID vaccine, poll finds
- US respiratory virus activity reaches high levels as flu, RSV spread
- US measles total grows by 145 as South Carolina outbreak hits 920 cases Publisher: CIDRAP
- Measles cases in SC continues to rise, outbreak total at 920 Publisher: ABC Columbia
- Measles Outbreak in South Carolina Linked to Brain Swelling in Kids Publisher: Gizmodo