According to Mayo Clinic, 1855 saw the first-ever vaccination requirement for students attending public schools in Massachusetts, and other states soon followed with their own vaccine mandates. At the time, this was a requirement of the vaccine against smallpox, a disease that the CDC states killed nearly one-third of those infected and left many survivors with permanent scarring or vision loss. Following the development and continuous widespread implementation of the smallpox vaccine, however, the disease has since been eradicated in the United States.
Today’s immunization requirements for students attending public school exist for the very same reason: to prevent the contraction and spread of diseases that threaten the collective public health. Students and parents are all-too-familiar with how easily ailments spread in school environments, and the nine diseases students are required to be vaccinated against were selected for their proven impact on the school-aged population.
“The reason we chose the five shots that we want to cover, … These were common childhood diseases that would result in children being hospitalized, even death, and so they were thought to be very, very, very important as far as the transmissibility, the likelihood of catching it and the impact to children of school age,” said West Virginia Department of Health (DH) Cabinet Secretary Dr. Sherri Young.
The DH requires that all K-12 students must demonstrate proof of immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and hepatitis B. For students entering grades 7 and 12, additional immunization records for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and meningococcal disease are required.
Some states allow religious or philosophical exemptions to vaccine requirements, but West Virginia allows only medical exemptions approved by both the student’s healthcare provider and the DH. Medical exemptions can be temporary or permanent and may apply to scenarios such as allergy to a vaccine’s ingredients, taking medications that conflict with a vaccine or other serious conditions.
When an individual is unable to receive certain vaccines, the vaccination of their peers protects everyone’s health.
“For us to be vaccinated, not only in school but in general, helps protect the public,” said Young. “It’s a way of keeping yourself safe, but also keeping those around you safe.”
Monongalia County saw this in action earlier this year, when a positive measles case was detected in April — the first in 15 years. Over 100 West Virginians were potentially exposed across 30 counties, but thanks to the DH and local health departments’ efforts and high vaccination rates, a potential outbreak was controlled.
Other vaccines are recommended by the DH and CDC for school-age children but are not required. This includes vaccines against COVID-19, the flu and human papillomavirus (HPV). Refer to CDC guidelines or speak with your child’s primary care physician to determine which vaccines your child should receive.
Health departments across the state offer various programs for uninsured and otherwise in-need individuals of all ages to receive vaccines. Contact your local health department for more information.
Visit DHHR.wv.gov/health/Pages/default.aspx for more information, and CDC.gov/vaccines for information on the CDC’s vaccine recommendations for all age groups.
