West Virginia health official: 'Immunizations are crucial' for school-age youth

West Virginia health officials are urging parents to get their children vaccinated before returning for the 2024-25 school year.Photo byCDC

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — As students in Kanawha County and around West Virginia prepare to head back to school for the 2024-25 school year, West Virginia health officials are urging parents to make sure their children receive their vaccinations before the start of the school year.

"Immunizations are crucial in preventing severe and potentially fatal illnesses," West Virginia Department of Health Secretary Dr. Sherri Young, DO, MBA, FAAFP said in a recent release.

West Virginia State Code requires all West Virginia children to receive certain vaccinations before enrolling in school. All children in Kindergarten through 12th grade must show proof of vaccination against the following:

• diphtheria
• pertussis
• tetanus
• polio
• measles
• mumps
• rubella
• varicella
• hepatitis B

Additional proof of immunization is required for children entering grades 7 and 12 for:

• diphtheria
• pertussis
• tetanus
• meningococcal disease

Children who have not received the required immunizations must be granted a medical exemption by the state Department of Health before being allowed to enroll in state schools.

While all 50 states have some form of legislative requirement for specified vaccines, some have exemptions for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons. West Virginia has no allowable exemptions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The goal of mandatory vaccinations, health officials said, is to prevent outbreaks of harmful diseases among the state's school children.

"Measles, in particular, poses serious health risks, especially for our most vulnerable children," Young said.

As of April, a total of 126 measles cases were reported in 19 states -- including West Virginia -- so far this year.

"The last reported case of measles in West Virginia was in April 2024 following international travel," health officials note in a public information sheet.

In April's case alone, about 152 people across 30 West Virginia counties were exposed to the measles disease, according to state health officials.

Young says now is the time for parents to act to prevent such an outbreak within the state's school system.

"The final weeks of summer are an ideal time to schedule back-to-school immunizations for our students,” she said.

A collaboration with the West Virginia Department of Health’s Bureau for Public Health and technology company MyIRMobile, announced earlier this month, allows West Virginians to access their immunization data online. After registering on a website, users are connected with data from the state's Immunization Information System, the database that stores all records of state vaccinations.

"Accessing your child’s immunization records has never been simpler," said West Virginia State Health Officer Dr. Matthew Christiansen.

MyIR can be accessed online at myirmobile.com, Christiansen notes. And, he said, parents can reach also out to their child's doctor.

"We encourage individuals with questions to consult their pediatrician or primary care provider," Christiansen said.