Measles Outbreaks Are Forcing Immunocompromised Kids to Make Impossible Choices
Measles outbreaks in the US have reached a 35-year high, causing significant concern for immunocompromised children who cannot be vaccinated. Parents are struggling to determine if schools are safe environments as vaccination rates in some districts fall below the threshold for community immunity.
Why it matters
The decline in vaccination rates poses a direct public health threat to vulnerable populations, raising questions about school safety and public health policy.
Cases of the highly transmissible disease have reached a 35-year high in the US, with nearly 3,000 confirmed infections in 2026 so far. The first two measles-related deaths of the year were recorded in Pennsylvania, right as the school year is getting going. With vaccination rates dropping across the country, parents of kids who aren’t able to get vaccinated or don’t mount a strong enough immune response due to weakened immune systems are weighing whether it’s safe enough to go to school.
Victoria Schiano, national community engagement coordinator for Little Lobbyists, a nonprofit that advocates for children with complex medical needs and disabilities, says the return of measles is “absolutely terrifying.”
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