West Virginia on Track to Expand Childhood Vaccine Exemptions
- by Dawn Richardson
- Published
- Opinion
Newly elected West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey, within a day of inauguration, issued an executive order1 to establish a process for religious and conscientious objections to state school or state regulated day care center vaccination requirements.
This is great news for families in West Virginia who, up to this point, have only had limited medical exemptions available.2 Since 2011, NVIC has analyzed and tracked on the NVIC Advocacy Portal over 40 bills attempting to expand vaccine exemptions, including HB5105.3 which was vetoed by the previous governor Jim Justice on March 27, 2024.
Several introductory statements in the Jan. 14th order explain the governor’s reasoning for his actions including the fact that even after the enactment of the Equal Protection for Religion Act of 2023, W. Va. Code §35-1A-1 (2023), “the compulsory immunization law is still being used to bar West Virginians with religious and moral objections to vaccines from sending their children to state schools.”
The order declares that “a writing signed by the objector” is sufficient proof to establish the objection. It also states that no action shall be taken to enforce compulsory vaccine requirements against a conscientious or religious objector to vaccine requirements by the Commissioner of Health, the State Health Officer, and all officials and employees of the state under their authority.
The order also establishes that by Feb. 1, 2025, the plan to “enable and facilitate a statewide exemption for religious or moral beliefs,” including any necessary legislation or rules, shall be submitted by the Bureau for Public Health and the State Health Officer to the Governor.
The remaining states to only have a medical exemption are California, Connecticut, Maine, and New York.
This is a great development for families in West Virginia!
Dawn Richardson is the Director of Advocacy for the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC).
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