FILE - West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice delivers his State of the State address, Jan. 10, 2024, in Charleston, W.Va. Justice on Wednesday, March 27, broke with the GOP-majority Legislature to veto a bill that would have loosened one of the country's strictest school vaccination policies. a billWest Virginia is only one of a handful of states in the U.S. that offers only medical exemptions to vaccine requirements.
Justice, who is running for Democrat U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin's seat, received immense pressure to reject the bill from health care leaders, educators and parents. He refused to answer whether or not he planned to sign it before Wednesday's veto, saying he needed time to think through the decision. All students participating in West Virginia school activities that result in competition, including but not limited to sports, would still have needed to be vaccinated.
Justice was hailed by state health care leaders for his pro-vaccine stance during the coronavirus pandemic. When the COVID-19 vaccine was developed, Justice was among the first top elected officials in the country to receive a shot, evenBefore Justice vetoed the bill, Kanawha-Charleston Health Officer Dr. Steven Eshenaur said he was deeply worried about the consequences that could come from the legislation being made law.
“Hear this on repeat: If you are anti-vaccination, you are pro-disease. It’s as simple as that,” he said. But a growing number of parents in the state have expressed frustration with the state's policy and say they should have the freedom to make their own decisions about their children's vaccination status.
Source: Education Headlines (educationheadlines.net)
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