MORGANTOWN — According to Monongalia County Health Officer Dr. Brian Huggins, West Virginia is one of very few states – regardless of political leanings – that hasn’t seen a significant reduction in kindergarten vaccination rates over the last four years.
He fears that’s about to change.
“My hope is that we’ve already got a good system in place and people are used to vaccinating their children,” he recently told the Monongalia County Board of Health. “But any time you see that mandate change, we will probably see a drop. Will we drop below 95%, I don’t know that yet. We’ll have to keep monitoring.”
The “mandate” Huggins referenced came with a stroke of Governor Patrick Morrisey’s pen on his first full day in office.
State law prevents any child from attending school until he or she has been immunized against chickenpox, hepatitis-b, measles, meningitis, mumps, diphtheria, polio, rubella, tetanus and whooping cough.
Morrisey signed an executive order allowing religious and conscientious parental exemptions for school vaccines. Previously, only medical exemptions were accepted.
As for the 95% Huggins mentioned, that’s the vaccination rate at which herd immunity is effective.
West Virginia sits among the nation’s best at about 96%. He said the national average is about 94%, but that number is buoyed by high-population states like California and New York.
“Below 90% is when you can expect to see outbreaks, significant outbreaks,” Huggins said, adding that about half the country falls below that mark.
A bill allowing some exemptions passed overwhelmingly in the 2024 session of the West Virginia Legislature.
House Bill 5105 would have removed vaccination requirements for students in virtual public schools, and it also would have allowed private and parochial schools to set their own standards.
That bill was ultimately vetoed by then Governor Jim Justice, citing “the guidance of our medical experts.”
Lawmakers promised it would be back, likely in a more sweeping form.
Morrisey’s executive order directed the Bureau of Public Health and the yet-to-be-named state health officer to submit a plan to his office by Saturday, including proposals for any necessary legislation.
The executive order allows for both religious and moral opt-outs at all schools.
Monongalia County Health Department Executive Director Anthony DeFelice said the coast appears to be clear for lawmakers.
“It’s pretty clear that there will be a bill submitted with these exemptions. I think there’s no doubt about that, but again, as Dr Huggins said, you know, they wanted to do this last year, and it was passed overwhelmingly, but then Governor Justice vetoed it,” DeFelice said. “They’re bringing it up again and this governor supports it.”
Huggins said that regardless of what happens in Charleston, the health department will continue to inform the community about the importance of childhood vaccines.
“We at the health department, of course, our stance is vaccinations reduce disease; especially for really critical diseases like polio. We get wrapped up in respiratory diseases, but people forget about polio and iron lungs and people who had limbs that didn’t grow properly,” Huggins said. “These are some really serious diseases. Tetanus, I sure wouldn’t want to watch anyone die of tetanus. So, our stance as a health department is yes, vaccination is safe, and we strongly encourage it.”
