A coalition of education and healthcare organizations has been coordinating to encourage Gov. Jim Justice to veto a bill that would loosen some vaccination standards in West Virginia schools.
“We are committed to provide the Governor what we consider the best evidence for the health and well-being of our citizens. As such, the data related to the maintaining current requirements for immunizing school-aged children in West Virginia are clear and West Virginia is regarded best-in-class,” said Clay Marsh, executive dean for health sciences at West Virginia University.
“Requiring immunizations with only medical exceptions protect our children and our communities against illnesses like measles, rubella, hepatitis, chickenpox, mumps, polio and mumps. Although border states have had measles outbreaks recently, we have not, because of our immunization requirements. We have shared this with Gov Justice, as have other groups that focus on the healthcare and health of our state.”
House Bill 5105 removes vaccination requirements for students in virtual public schools, and it also would allow private and parochial schools to set their own standards.
Lawmakers considered a provision that would have allowed parents to send in a letter citing a religious exemption to vaccination requirements, but that was not in the bill that passed on the final day of the regular legislative session.
Justice, during briefings two weeks in a row, said he had not yet made up his mind about the bill. He has until midnight Wednesday to take action on the bills passed by the Legislature.
During a briefing two weeks ago, Justice acknowledged the effort to influence his decision. “We’re bombarded with calls. Bombarded with calls from docs and all kinds of different people saying ‘What are we doing? What in the world are we doing?’” Justice said then.
28 groups urge veto: ‘The biggest push’
Twenty-eight organizations sent a joint letter to the governor requesting a veto of the bill. The letter was also published in the Charleston Gazette-Mail on March 15. Many of the organizations also sent individual letters or communication requesting a veto.
“We are hopeful that Governor Justice will take steps to protect children in West Virginia by vetoing HB 5105,” said Elaine Darling, director of programs for the The Center for Rural Health Development, one of the organizations that has participated.
Dale Lee of the West Virginia Education Association, Jim Kaufman of the West Virginia Hospital Association and John Law of the West Virginia Medical Association each acknowledged the coordinated effort to encourage the governor’s rejection of the bill.
“I stand with the Governor in protecting our students. Veto HB 5105. Don’t turn back the clock putting our students at risk,” Lee, president of the education association, posted on social media.
The activity includes an avalanche of telephone calls and letters.
“It’s probably the biggest push physicians have done since tort reform in the early 2000s,” said Law, executive director of the medical association.
Letters from health organizations
A letter from medical association representatives to the governor aimed at appealing to the interests of Justice, who is a girls basketball coach and an enthusiast of activities at local schools.
“As a successful high school basketball coach, you realize the importance of keeping students safe and healthy. We, as the state’s largest organization of physicians, agree with you. We have devoted our lives to the practice of healthcare,” wrote representatives of the medical association.
“As you said in your state-of-the-state address, our schools mean everything to our communities, and ‘we got a lot going on in a good way.’ As you know, one of the things we’ve got going on in a good way is our high child immunization rates, thanks to our strong state immunization requirements for children in schools and daycare centers.”
As of now, the West Virginia Department of Education boasts that the state has one of the most effective school-entry vaccine preventable laws in the nation: “The vaccination laws have proven to improve attendance rates for students and staff while ensuring children stay healthy, safe, and ready to learn.”
West Virginia students entering school for the first time must show proof of immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and hepatitis B unless properly medically exempted.
Measles has seen a resurgence in the news recently with the situation of an elementary school in Florida experiencing measles cases among six students.
“We appreciate that you are a man who looks at the data and the numbers. As an organization, we work to reduce healthcare costs in our communities. We know that you, too, have a mind toward ensuring that all West Virginians can get what they need, with fiscal responsibility as consideration at the same time,” wrote representatives of the medical association.
“Preventable disease outbreaks can cost state governments millions of dollars. Further, they can disrupt daily activities by closing offices, schools, and childcare facilities.”
A letter from former State Health Officer Letitia Tierney described societal health benefits from strong vaccination policies and concluded by saying, “I firmly stand with the governor and encourage him to be the leader we know him to be and veto HB 5105.”
The American Medical Association weighed in with a letter asking the governor to veto the bill.
“West Virginia has long been a champion of strong immunization policies and, as a result, boasts some of the highest immunization rates in the country and low rates of vaccine-preventable diseases,” wrote James Madara of the AMA. “Yet HB 5105 would exempt many school children from the very policies that have led to this success.”
A debate that could continue
Other groups representing religious and health freedom interests have pushed for the governor to sign the bill.
Senator Mike Stuart, R-Kanawha, wrote on social media that this bill, even if it fails, is just the beginning.
“’IF’ there is an unfortunate veto of the minor immunization bill, it is but one small battle in the war for freedom. Next year there will be many more conservatives in the Legislature and next year’s bill won’t be so small. We will go for full religious exemptions,” Stuart posted.
Speaking on MetroNews’ “Talkline,” Senate Majority Leader Tom Takubo said he hopes the bill is blocked.
“I hope the governor vetoes it,” said Takubo, R-Kanawha and a pulmonologist.
“I have spoken to the governor personally about this and I hope he understands, you know, the covid issue has got a lot of people confused. We’re talking about childhood vaccinations. They’ve been around for 40 years. If you look at a CDC map, West Virginia looks like we have a halo around us. We just don’t have outbreaks of preventable childhood diseases.”