West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey has not yet announced a state health officer, but whoever ends up in that role appears to have been given his first marching orders this week — crafting a policy allowing religious exemptions to the state’s school vaccination laws.
In one of the 10 executive orders he issued Tuesday, Morrisey said headed the state health officer and the commissioner of the Bureau of Public Health establish a plan to allow parents of children attending a public school or day care center to object on religious grounds to one or more of the vaccinations required by the state.
The order states that the health commissioner and commission must submit a plan by February 1, 2025 that includes all necessary laws and rules for exceptions to the state’s school vaccination requirements.
Former state health official Dr. Matt Christiansen resigned in December after almost two years in office. Former Gov. Jim Justice said At that point, he would allow Morrisey to appoint the official to take Christiansen’s place.
Morrisey’s office and the Bureau for Public Health did not respond to separate emails seeking comment on the vacancy and deadline.
The state’s Republican-led Legislature tried for years to weaken the state’s vaccination requirements. Last year, after both bodies passed a bill allowing private and parochial schools to develop their own vaccine requirements, he said Gov. Jim Justice vetoed the legislation.
Morrisey wasted no time, He announced this on Tuesday on the second day of his term in officethat he would implement religious exemptions through the Equal Protection for Religion Act. The 2023 bill signed by Justice says the government may not “substantially burden” a person’s constitutional right to religious freedom unless doing so is “essential to furthering a compelling government interest.” according to the Associated Press.
“I think most West Virginians care deeply about our citizens having religious beliefs, and we also know that the First Amendment to our Constitution contains specific clauses that require free association,” Morrisey said told reporters On Tuesday he added that a requested exemption on religious grounds must meet the definition of the equal treatment measure.
Every state requires school children to be vaccinated against a number of infectious diseases, including polio, measles and whooping cough. West Virginia has long had one of the strictest school vaccination laws in the country. The state is one of only five states this allows only medical exceptions – not religious or philosophical exceptions – to these requirements.
The policy changes come as parents register their kindergarten and preschool-aged children for the upcoming school year. West Virginia’s free universal preschool program requires children to have age-appropriate immunization records based on a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention schedule.
In an email, Christy Day, a spokeswoman for the state Board of Education, said any guidance for parents must come from the Bureau for Public Health.
Health officials praise the state’s vaccination laws for keeping the state’s vaccination rates high and preventing disease outbreaks. In April 2024, the state reported its first case of measles in 15 years. The disease was confirmed in a Monongalia County resident who was partially vaccinated and had recently traveled abroad. The County Health Officer At the time, he said high vaccination rates prevented the highly contagious, potentially fatal disease from becoming an outbreak.
Last year, 284 measles cases and 16 outbreaks were reported in 31 states and the District of Columbia Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Morrisey’s executive order sparked a series of objections from medical professionals and the state Democratic Party on Wednesday.
Dr. Lisa Costello, a pediatrician and former president of the state medical association, said Wednesday she was concerned about changes to the state’s “nation-leading” vaccination policy.
“Non-medical exemptions put children, schools and communities at risk of more diseases like measles and even other diseases, possibly polio, that we can prevent through vaccination, especially if our vaccination rates are high,” Costello said. “The policies we have pursued in West Virginia for decades have ensured that West Virginia remains a leader in our school-age vaccination rates.
“Any change in vaccination policy risks introducing more of these deadly and debilitating diseases to children, schools and communities,” she said.
The Kanawha-Charleston Health Department also spoke out against the state allowing religious exemptions, writing in a statement that mandatory childhood vaccinations are critical to protecting children from diseases that can be fatal or debilitating. There have been no outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in West Virginia since strict vaccination laws went into effect. the department wrote.
“Agreed with the American Academy of Pediatrics and many other health organizations committed to protecting our children, the members of the Kanawha-Charleston Board of Health are emphatic.” recommend that parents and guardians vaccinate their children to protect them from these preventable diseases,” board members wrote in a joint statement.
Likewise, the West Virginia Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement saying they were concerned about the policy changes and that they would continue to strongly recommend routine childhood vaccinations as the best way to protect patients and communities to protect against unnecessary damage.
“We are committed to working with state officials to expand access to childhood vaccinations and address barriers to care for all children in West Virginia,” they wrote. “We remain optimistic that West Virginia policymakers will work with us to maintain our school-age policies in a way that continues to protect children, taking into account the best available medical evidence.” We place the utmost importance on each child in West Virginia by maintaining our longstanding immunity standards.”
In a statement Wednesday, the state Democratic Party called Morrisey’s orders short-sighted and malicious.
“Imposing non-medical exemptions to vaccination requirements endangers public health,” said state party leader Del. Mike Pushkin, in the press release. “West Virginia has long been known for its effective immunization policies that have protected our children from preventable diseases. Eroding these protections will inevitably lead to more illness and suffering among our most vulnerable populations.”
Senate Health Committee Chairwoman Sen. Laura Chapman, R-Ohio, told West Virginia Watch that there will be draft legislation A bill will be introduced in the upcoming legislative session that will provide additional exemptions from state vaccination requirements for children.
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