CHARLESTON, WV (WOAY) – Last night, members of the House of Delegates cut religious and philosophical vaccine exemptions from a bill that now will strengthen medical exemptions for children who have health issues that prevent them from getting vaccinated.
The House Health and Human Resources Committee changed Senate Bill 460, which passed the state Senate by a margin of 20-12 with religious and philosophical exemptions intact.
The bill was introduced in the Senate after Governor Patrick Morrisey signed an executive order directing the state government to begin the process of allowing parents to object to mandatory vaccines for school children on religious or philosophical grounds.
For now, that request will not be backed up by state law.
The committee substitute adopted last night stripped religious and philosophical objections from the bill. Instead, the bill allows licensed doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician’s assistants to provide a written statement that says a vaccine is detrimental to a child’s health.
