Vaccine Choice Bills in the 2021 WV Legislature
There are seven bills dealing with vaccination choice that have been introduced in the WV House or Senate. All of them will provide some welcome relief from West Virginia’s authoritarian, one size fits all approach to immunizations.
As a start, I suggest you contact your senators in support of SB 406, and contact your delegate in support of HB 2881. Both remove the requirement to provide the harmful and unnecessary Hepatitus B vaccination to children before attending any West Virginia school, public or private. Typically, this vaccination is given to newborn babies. Mind you that the vaccination is for a sexually transmitted disease, and that this disease is nonexistent among those who are not having sexual intercourse or using IV drugs. HB 2881 is in the House Health and Human Resources Committee chaired by Jeffrey Pack.
HB 2728 clarifies that the commissioner of Public Health shall not expand compulsory immunization requirements for school children without explicit Legislative authority, including the chair of the Health Committee. Vaccination by administrative ruling added 11 to 13 doses of four vaccines to the West Virginia required vaccine schedule from 2008 to 2017. These vaccines alone have caused between 1740 to 17,400 serious adverse reactions requiring hospitalization and 290 to 2900 deaths in West Virginia. Current administrative rulings specify that all vaccines recommend by the ACIP panel are also recommended for West Virginia children. Furthermore, from 2008 to 2017 parents enrolling children in state licensed daycare were required to get HIB, pneumococcal (Prevnar), rotavirus and Hepatitus A vaccinations under penalty of law. These vaccinations were added by an administrative rule, were subsequently removed, but could be added again. This bill is in the House Education Committee, chaired by Joe Ellington.
HB 2783 grants a physician to grant a child a medical exemption from the required immunizations for entering a school or a state-regulated child care center. The position of Immunization Officer (added in 2015) is eliminated. This bill is in the House Health and Human Resources Committee, chaired by Jeffrey Pack.
See all of the Vaccine Choice bills here.
Delegate Paul Espinosa (Shannondale): Capitol: (304) 340-3310 Cell: (304) 268-4266 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Delegate Wayne Clark (Charles Town) Capitol: (304) 340-3366 Cell: (703) 786-7114 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Delegate John Doyle (Shepherdstown) Capitol: (304) 340-3248 Hm: (304) 876-1648 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Delegate Joe Ellington (House Education Chair) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (304) 340-3265
Delegate Jeff Pack (House Health Chair) This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
(304) 340-3269
Senator John Unger (Shepherdstown) Capitol: (304) 357-7933 Cell: (304) 389-1866 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Senator Patricia Rucker (Shannondale) Capitol: (304) 357-7957 Cell: (304) 279-1619
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Senator Mike Maroney (Senate Health and Human Resources Chair) (304) 357-7902 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.