CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice on Wednesday announced he has vetoed the vaccine bill, also known as House Bill 5105.
It would have removed vaccination requirements for students in virtual public schools and allow private and parochial schools to set their own standards, according to a release from the Governor’s Office.
Justice said the following in his veto letter:
“Since this legislation was passed, I have heard constant, strong opposition to this legislation from our State’s medical community. The overwhelming majority that have voiced their opinion believe that this legislation will do irreparable harm by crippling childhood immunity to diseases such as mumps and measles. West Virginia historically has seen very few instances of these diseases, specifically because the vaccination requirements in this State are so strong. Importantly, the vaccines at issue have been required in this State for decades and have kept our communities safe. Our surrounding states, however, have seen spikes in such illnesses recently. These spikes, we are advised, are the result of the lesser vaccine requirements in those states. The image below shows surrounding states with reported measles cases as of March 21, 2024, highlighted in blue.
