Measles Outbreaks Are Forcing Immunocompromised Kids to Make Impossible Choices

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As students head back to school, parents have all the usual worries about their kids, like remembering to pack lunch and making it to the bus stop on time. But parents of immunocompromised kids have a new one: How to deal with the resurgence of measles.

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,...

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