By Sierra Marling, Charleston Gazette-Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Board of Education is moving to ensure public charter schools follow the state’s compulsory vaccination rules. The BOE has directed its legal counsel to draft a letter to the Professional Charter School Board affirming that the same immunization requirements apply to charter and noncharter public schools.
Under state law, students must show proof of several immunizations to attend school, unless they have a medical exemption issued by the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health. Religious exemptions are not recognized.
On Jan. 14, however, Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed Executive Order 7-25, citing West Virginia’s 2023 Equal Protection for Religion Act, to allow religious objections to school vaccination mandates.
