As students across the US return to school, parents of immunocompromised children are facing a daunting new reality: the resurgence of measles. In Pennsylvania, cases have hit a 35-year high, with nearly 3,000 confirmed infections so far in 2026, and the first measles-related deaths have been recorded as the school year begins. Parents are forced to make life-altering decisions, balancing their children's safety with their social needs.

Victoria Schiano, a parent from Chester County, Pennsylvania, whose 10-year-old son has mitochondrial disease, is closely monitoring the vaccination rates in her son’s school district. With only 87.6% of kindergartners and 83.3% of seventh graders fully vaccinated, the risk of measles is high. Her son, who receives weekly infusions of immunoglobulin, cannot be vaccinated. 'Measles is dangerous for anyone, but for him, this could be life or death,' she says. She has had to limit his time with friends and after-school activities, a decision that is hard for a parent to make.

Amalia, a parent in South Carolina, has already chosen to keep her 16-year-old son home this year and do online schooling due to concerns about measles. Her son has immunoglobulin A deficiency, making him more susceptible to infections. 'Even if there’s just a flu going around, he gets sicker than the average kid will,' she says. She lives in Spartanburg County, where measles broke out earlier this year and caused nearly 1,000 cases and 21 hospitalizations, mostly among unvaccinated children and teens. Despite a 94% increase in the number of vaccines administered during the outbreak, she still wasn’t comfortable sending her son back to school.

Cortney, another South Carolina parent, says the state’s measles outbreak was highly concerning because the family needed to travel near the epicenter for medical appointments. 'We planned to drive directly into that county, we go only to the doctor, and we leave,' she says. Her 17-year-old daughter Grace, who has conditions that make her susceptible to severe infections, was homeschooled during the pandemic and is considering doing so again for her senior year.