West Virginia’s long-debated compulsory vaccination law – which lawmakers declined to amend with a religious exemption – looks like a political non-starter given the latest MetroNews West Virginia Poll.
Rex Repass, who conducted the survey, asked 400 respondents a simple question: Should states require children in grades K-12 to be vaccinated against highly contagious diseases before entering school?
- 71% answered yes
- 17% answered no
- 12% said they were unsure
Few issues draw 70-plus percent agreement. But the top-line number is only part of the story. A deeper breakdown shows broad support:
- Democrats: 86% yes
- Republicans: 65% yes
- Independents: 63% yes
- Liberals: 89% yes (just 3% unsure)
- Conservatives: 61% yes (14% unsure)
This isn’t just a 70/30 issue – it’s bipartisan, and that distinction is rare these days.
Support also cuts across perceptions of the state’s direction:
- Among those who believe West Virginia is on the right track, 61% support the mandate.
- Among those who think the state is on the wrong track, support rises to 78%.
Even views of the political parties don’t move the needle. Whether respondents had favorable or unfavorable opinions of Democrats or Republicans, they still leaned heavily toward “yes.” The issue further transcends gender, age, education, income and whether a person is a parent or not polling anywhere from low 60 to high 70 plus percent in favor.
As Brian Dayton of the WV Chamber noted on Talkline Tuesday, these findings aren’t new. Similar polls over the past year have shown consistent results.
So why have some legislators pushed so hard for exemptions? Your guess is as good as mine.
One explanation may be local politics – certain districts contain pockets of strong opposition, and lawmakers may be reflecting their base. Another factor may be the growing emphasis on “religious freedom” fights, which can translate into vocal constituencies, votes, and campaign money.
To be fair, some citizens with sincerely held religious beliefs – albeit impossible so far to find any religious leader who will acknowledge such a belief as part of their religion or denomination – may feel marginalized by the law. But last session’s attempt at a religious exemption morphed into a broader philosophical exemption – and that likely doomed it, eliminating room for a commonsense compromise. Cutting against the mainstream is one thing, granting full blown philosophical exemptions is another.
Whatever the motivations – be they freedom, politics, or campaign contributions – the political risk is real. Legislators on the wrong side of this issue could easily find themselves out of step with their constituents and out of a job. In fact, support for vaccination would likely climb higher if the question had explicitly excluded COVID vaccines and focused only on traditional childhood illnesses such as measles, mumps, and polio.
Ultimately, the poll delivers a clear message: the public overwhelmingly supports compulsory vaccination. Those who would use West Virginia’s Equal Protection for Religion Act (EPRA) as an end-run around the law are out of step with voters. Despite ongoing legal clashes on the issue, lawmakers would be wise to take note – and consider clarifying or reforming EPRA next session to close off ambiguity.
Editor’s Note: COVID vaccines are not compulsory in West Virginia code for school attendance, however these vaccines have been mentioned in regard to this debate time and again and may likely cloud the issue for some.