West Virginia Senate Advances Vaccine Exemption Bill, Rejects Amendments

The West Virginia Senate advanced Senate Bill 460, which allows parents to claim religious and philosophical exemptions from mandatory school vaccinations, rejecting several proposed amendments aimed at maintaining stricter vaccination policies. The bill, which could pass soon, would enable parents to object to immunization requirements for their children in public, private, and religious schools through a written statement. Amendments that sought to let private schools enforce existing vaccination standards and preserve polio vaccine requirements were defeated amid concerns about religious freedom and potential government overreach. Proponents of the amendments, including Senators Ryan Weld and Mike Woelfel, argued that the bill infringes on the rights of religious institutions by compelling them to accept unvaccinated students. Critics of the bill expressed fears that it jeopardizes public health and the integrity of educational institutions. The bill's passage would mark a significant shift in vaccination policy in West Virginia, where exemptions are currently very limited.