By Joselyn King, The Intelligencer
WHEELING — West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Friday his executive order providing religious and philosophical exemptions to required vaccines for school children “still stands,” and he has “no intention of rescinding it.”
Morrisey issued updated guidelines Friday to families wanting to seek religious exemptions to vaccinations.
In his statement Friday, Morrisey acknowledged legislation establishing religious or philosophical exemptions to vaccines was not passed during the regular legislative session earlier this year.
But he said an executive order on the matter he issued after taking office in January “still stands, and I have no intention of rescinding it.”
“I am calling on the State Superintendent of Schools and the county boards of education in this state to work with the Bureau for Public Health to ensure that religious rights of students are protected,” Morrisey stated. “Students will not be denied access to public education because of their religious objections to compulsory vaccination.”
