Key takeaways:
- West Virginia has one of many highest immunization charges within the nation, because it doesn’t permit nonmedical exemptions.
- Pediatricians can accomplice with legislators to advocate for higher immunization insurance policies.
West Virginia has one of many highest kindergarten vaccination charges within the nation. Though nationwide MMR and DTaP protection fell beneath 93% throughout the 2023-2024 college 12 months, West Virginia reported protection exceeding 98% for each vaccines.
The state has such excessive immunization charges as a result of it’s one in all solely 5 states that doesn’t permit nonmedical exemptions for kids getting into college.
Nonetheless, lawmakers in West Virginia have been making an attempt to alter that for two many years.
Specialists have warned that falling vaccination charges might result in outbreaks of measles, and up to now in 2025, greater than 1,000 circumstances have been reported within the U.S. — probably the most in many years.
Beth Bloom Emrick, MD, former president of the AAP’s West Virginia chapter, informed Healio that in 2024, legislators launched greater than 40 payments aiming to weaken immunization necessities. Statewide advocacy efforts finally resulted in former Gov. Jim Justice vetoing a invoice that had handed within the state Home and Senate.
“Legislators cite the significance of parental freedom to make vaccination choices, however that is actually about freedom to guard public well being,” Emrick stated. “Dad and mom are free to not vaccinate their youngsters, however these youngsters can’t be in a public college setting the place they improve dangers for different college students. Youngsters who can’t be immunized for medical causes have the proper to go to highschool in an surroundings that’s protected and doesn’t expose them to pointless illnesses.”
Emrick famous that well being advocacy is an ongoing course of. On Jan. 14 of this 12 months— his first day as West Virginia’s new governor — Republican Patrick Morrisey issued an govt order calling on state well being authorities to permit spiritual and ethical exemptions to vaccines, citing “obligatory immunization forces these West Virginians to decide on between their spiritual perception and their youngsters’s elementary proper to public training.”
Nonetheless, a invoice drafted by West Virginia senators that might have allowed spiritual exemptions beneath state regulation was voted down by the Home of Delegates in March, in accordance with West Virginia Watch. Moreover, the Related Press reported that the American Civil Liberties Union West Virginia chapter and Mountain State Justice filed a lawsuit towards the state, arguing that the state’s structure places immunization guidelines within the fingers of the legislature, not the governor.
Healio: You and your colleagues at AAP’s West Virginia chapter efficiently satisfied the previous governor to veto an exemption invoice. How did you do this?
Emrick: These payments come up yearly. It is very important keep a presence on the Capitol so legislators know us and might look to us as specialists within the area.
In 2024, regardless of our greatest efforts, an immunization exemptions invoice handed within the Home and finally within the Senate on the final day of the session. Because it headed to the governor’s desk, we have been capable of inform then-Gov. Jim Justice in regards to the significance of vaccine necessities and the implications of permitting non-medical exemptions. We highlighted West Virginia’s place as a long-standing chief in immunization coverage and that message resonated with him.
We additionally engaged our communities by means of social media, a statewide petition, newspaper op-eds, and ads that inspired contacting the governor’s workplace in the event that they agreed robust immunization legal guidelines are necessary.
Anti-immunization teams are vocal and powerful. People who assist immunizations, which is almost all, should not at all times as vocal. Their voices wanted to be heard as effectively, they usually have been heard in 2024.
Healio: What have been an important classes you realized throughout the marketing campaign?
Emrick: Partaking the general public is totally different than partaking legislators. What works in a single state doesn’t essentially work in one other. If you’d like your message to resonate, you will need to know what your neighborhood values.
Healio: How can pediatricians advocate for higher vaccine insurance policies in their very own states?
Emrick: We’re all busy with our scientific practices and might’t essentially step away to talk earlier than a well being committee assembly at brief discover. It can be crucial for pediatricians to construct partnerships with different physicians and have a plan for legislative availability.
We additionally have to apply speaking about these matters — which we do day-after-day in our examination rooms, as we’re speaking to households in regards to the significance of immunizations — however we have to be ready to speak about it in a broader approach for a unique viewers.
Healio: What are some necessary issues physicians ought to learn about working with legislators?
Emrick: Within the examination room, physicians take into consideration the one baby who’s in entrance of us. Legislators, nonetheless, take into consideration each baby of their city or county: their constituents.
It is very important construct relationships with legislators year-round, in order that they know they’ll attain out to us after they have questions on immunizations and baby well being. They don’t have to grasp the science behind it, however they should perceive the broad implications of weakened immunization insurance policies. After every session, you will need to thank them for supporting what’s greatest for all their constituents.
References:
- CDC. Vaccination protection and exemptions amongst kindergarteners. https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/information/index.html. Up to date Oct. 2, 2024. Accessed Might 18, 2025.
- Emrick BB, et al. Pediatrics. 2025;doi:10.1542/peds.2024-068983.
- Kersey L. WV households are already utilizing spiritual exemptions allowed beneath Morrisey order, officers say. https://westvirginiawatch.com/2025/03/27/wv-families-are-already-using-religious-exemptions-allowed-under-morrisey-order-officials-say/. Revealed March 27, 2025. Accessed Might 28, 2025.
- Nationwide Convention on State Legislatures. State non-medical exemptions from college immunization necessities. https://www.ncsl.org/well being/state-non-medical-exemptions-from-school-immunization-requirements. Up to date March 10, 2025. Accessed Might 18, 2025.
- Raby J. Teams sue over West Virginia governor’s order on spiritual exemptions for varsity vaccines. https://apnews.com/article/west-virginia-school-vaccines-exemptions-lawsuit-a5a2323a6c1d29f86759683b565914a7. Up to date Might 23, 2025. Accessed Might 28, 2025.
For extra data:
Beth Bloom Emrick, MD, may be reached at beth.emrick@wvaap.com.
