SC Republican lawmakers kill bill that would block unvaccinated students from school

SOUTH CAROLINA – Amid the ongoing South Carolina measles outbreak, lawmakers in Columbia have now effectively killed a bill that would have removed religious exemptions for measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations.

The proposal would have prevented unvaccinated students from enrolling in k-through-12 schools and colleges, but Republican state senators Thursday blocked it.

Health officials say the measles outbreak that began last year in Spartanburg has now led to nearly 1,000 cases, making it the nation’s largest in 20 years.