A bill introduced in the South Carolina Legislature would remove the religious exemption for the MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccine to attend public schools. The bill, filed by state Sen. Margie Bright Matthews (D-Colleton), would require documented proof of the MMR vaccine or a valid medical exemption. The legislation has been directed to the Committee on Medical Affairs. S.897 reads: A BILL TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING SECTION 44-29-180, RELATING TO VACCINATION AND IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS OF SCHOOL PUPILS AND DAY CARE CENTER CHILDREN, SO AS TO REMOVE THE RELIGIOUS EXEMPTION FOR THE MMR VACCINE FOR CHILDREN ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOLS; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-8-110, RELATING TO EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIP TRUST FUND DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO DEFINE AN ELIGIBLE STUDENT AS ONE WHO HAS HAD A MMR VACCINE OR A MEDICAL EXEMPTION; BY AMENDING SECTION 59-41-20, RELATING TO CHILDREN ELIGIBLE FOR GRANTS, SO AS TO INCLUDE A REQUIREMENT THAT AN ELIGIBLE CHILD HAS A MMR VACCINE OR MEDICAL EXEMPTION; AND BY ADDING SECTION 59-101-600 SO AS TO MANDATE A PERSON MUST HAVE A MMR VACCINE TO ATTEND A PUBLIC INSTITUTION OF HIGHER LEARNING. More info below: South Carolina parents — take notice. A bill has been introduced to repeal the religious exemption for the MMR vaccine. This is a direct challenge to: • Parental medical decision-making • Religious freedom • Informed consent Call your legislators. Tell them… pic.twitter.com/NByecmkRJy — Children’s Health Defense (@ChildrensHD) February 13, 2026 Reports of a measles outbreak are behind the push for such an authoritative piece of legislation. WJCL wrote: This comes as the Upstate outbreak reaches 933 total cases, according to the South Carolina Department of Public Health. The latest data reports 13 new cases since Friday, Feb. 6. More than 90% of cases from the South Carolina outbreak were in unvaccinated people. The majority are unvaccinated children. “We have a solution for a problem,” says Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. “Not all illnesses are equally dangerous, and not all people are equally susceptible to those illnesses. But measles is one you should get your vaccine.” “South Carolina just dropped a bill to remove the religious exemption for the MMR vaccine, eliminating exemptions for kids in childcare, school, or college. Why? Because there’s a measles outbreak in Spartanburg County. About 95% of the cases are happening there,” The HighWire wrote. “But here’s what they’re not telling you: That same county just did a massive vaccination push. They vaccinated over 1,200 kids aged 6 months to 11 months. The MMR vaccine is a live virus. About 7% of kids who get it will develop a rash and fever, which meets the clinical definition of measles. And those vaccinated kids? They can spread it,” it continued. Dawn Richardson, who is the Director of Advocacy for the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC), joined The HighWire to discuss the situation in South Carolina. According to The HighWire, Richardson said: “Here’s the question everyone should be demanding an answer to: Are we seeing a wild-type measles outbreak, or are we seeing vaccine-strain measles spreading from the 1,200 kids they vaccinated? They’re not testing. They’re not distinguishing between wild-type and vaccine-strain. They’re not advertising whether they’re even checking. This is a highly imperfect vaccine. It doesn’t stop subclinical spread. It will not – and CANNOT – ever produce herd immunity. That’s just the reality. But instead of acknowledging that, they’re deflecting and blaming the unvaccinated. And now they want to eliminate religious exemptions and mandate the MMR for everyone. 1,200 kids vaccinated. Then an outbreak in the same county. And the solution is to vaccinate MORE kids and remove exemptions? The story is in the nuance. The vaccine is live. The vaccine can cause measles symptoms. The vaccinated can spread it. And they’re not testing to distinguish. But they’ll try to take away your right to refuse it anyway. This is how policy gets made. Crisis. Reaction. Mandate. Don’t let it slide this time…” Watch the breakdown: SOUTH CAROLINA: THEY VACCINATED 1,200 KIDS. THEN THE OUTBREAK HAPPENED. South Carolina just dropped a bill to remove the religious exemption for the MMR vaccine, eliminating exemptions for kids in childcare, school, or college. Why? Because there's a measles outbreak in… pic.twitter.com/MYYqCKB9GY — The HighWire (@HighWireTalk) February 18, 2026 South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, who is running for governor, condemned the proposed legislation. “This bill goes too far. Since 2020, we’ve seen a concerted push to curtail personal liberty in the name of health and safety. Eliminating religious exemptions and mandating medical decisions by force is not who we are as a state or country,” Wilson said in a statement earlier this month. “The right to be free from compelled bodily intrusion is at the heart of the American experiment. Government should not substitute its judgment for parents, families, or individual conscience. Encouragement is not coercion. Personal freedom and parental rights must come first. As Attorney General, I will always stand for liberty, families, and the Constitution,” he continued.

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