As students return to school, parents of immunocompromised children are facing new challenges due to a resurgence of measles. Cases of the disease have reached a 35-year high in the United States, with nearly 3,000 confirmed infections reported in 2026 so far. The first two measles-related deaths of the year occurred in Pennsylvania as the school year commenced. With vaccination rates declining nationwide, parents of children unable to be vaccinated or those who do not mount a strong immune response are considering the safety of sending their children to school.
Victoria Schiano, national community engagement coordinator for Little Lobbyists, a nonprofit advocating for children with complex medical needs, stated that the return of measles is “absolutely terrifying.” According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study, approximately 2.6 percent of children in the U.S. are immunocompromised, which can result from genetic causes or secondary reasons such as chemotherapy.
Schiano’s 10-year-old son has mitochondrial disease and lives in Chester County, Pennsylvania, which currently has the second-highest number of measles cases in the state. She has been monitoring vaccination rates in her son’s school district, which have fallen below the 95 percent threshold necessary for community protection against measles. In neighboring Lancaster County, 87.6 percent of kindergartners and 83.3 percent of seventh graders are fully vaccinated against measles.
Her son cannot be vaccinated and receives weekly infusions of immunoglobulin to help his body fight infections. Schiano expressed that measles poses a significant danger to her son, stating, “Measles is dangerous for anyone, but for him, this absolutely could be life or death.” The virus can lead to severe complications, including pneumonia and brain swelling, and can cause immune amnesia, making individuals more susceptible to other diseases.
To protect her son, who already wears a mask and uses a plexiglass screen at school, Schiano has decided to limit his interactions with friends and after-school activities. She is prepared to withdraw him from school if there is a confirmed measles case, although she acknowledges that remote learning during the pandemic was linked to increased social isolation and mental health issues.
Another parent, Amalia from South Carolina, has opted to keep her 16-year-old son home and pursue online schooling due to measles concerns. Her son has immunoglobulin A deficiency, which makes him more susceptible to infections. Although he received the measles vaccine, doctors regularly monitor his antibody levels.
Amalia lives in Spartanburg County, where a measles outbreak earlier this year resulted in nearly 1,000 cases and 21 hospitalizations, primarily among unvaccinated children. Despite a 94 percent increase in vaccinations during the outbreak, she remains uncomfortable sending her son back to school, citing a broader concern about falling vaccination rates.
Cortney, another South Carolina parent, expressed concern over the measles outbreak as her family needed to travel near the epicenter for medical appointments. Her 17-year-old daughter Grace has a condition that previously led to hospitalization from rhinovirus. During the pandemic, Grace and her brother were homeschooled, and the family is considering this option again for her senior year.
Although Grace is immunocompromised, she does not wear a mask at school due to fears of being bullied. Cortney noted that while their family prefers to mask in public, they are concerned about potential ostracization, stating, “You worry that your family could be targeted.”