Measles outbreak means my immunocompromised son can’t leave the house without extreme safety measures As measles spreads in my state, my community has forgotten the lessons of Covid

https://www.statnews.com/2026/04/20/immunocompromised-children-measles-return-mmr-community/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-88gXtYV4pGKf82-tQzdUKNJqPROeHwCayomySpCYTbmC2CkeIAaGxi29GHZIzVionKGEmygMNVVWSJwWSFtdWGFG73zA&_hsmi=414424977&utm_content=414424977&utm_source=hs_email By Penelope GatlinApril 20, 2026 Gatlin is a rare disease parent, advocate, and member of the Parent Advisory Board of the CSNK2A1 Foundation. The safety measures one family must take amid a measles outbreak Since 2020, Penelope Gatlin and her family have completely changed their lives to protect her 13-year-old son’s health. He has Okur-Chung neurodevelopment syndrome, an ultra-rare genetic disorder that can lead to autism, intellectual disabilities, low muscle tone, and more. Gatlin forgoes work travel and in-person meetings, and her husband has left the workforce completely. They still wear masks and social distance outside. Now, they have another infectious disease to worry about. The family lives in North Carolina, one of 32 states facing a measles outbreak. “The resurgence of measles is a threat to the health of every child, but for immunocompromised kids like mine, it is catastrophic,” she writes. Read more about how the family is grappling with skepticism among friends — and even health care professionals — who say their fear of measles is overblown.