As summer comes to a close and back-to-school shopping begins, the Department of Health (DH) is reminding parents of the importance of immunization.
West Virginia law requires children entering school to get certain immunizations, also called vaccines or shots.
All children entering school in West Virginia, grades K-12, must show proof of immunization against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, and hepatitis B unless a medical exemption is approved by the DH.
West Virginia is one of five states in the U.S. that does not allow religious or philosophical exemptions for vaccine requirements.
Additional proof of immunization is required for children entering grades 7 and 12 for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, and meningococcal disease unless a medical exemption is approved by the DH.
Health Secretary Sherri Young said immunizations are crucial in preventing severe and potentially fatal illnesses, noting that measles in particular poses serious health risks to children.
West Virginia saw its first case of measles since 2009 in April when an “under-vaccinated” Monongalia County resident traveled internationally and upon returning home was treated and later diagnosed at an outpatient clinic.
State health leaders learned that 128 West Virginia residents from 30 counties and 24 out-of-state contacts from four neighboring states were potentially exposed to measles.
As of May 10 the DH announced that the measles case had been officially contained and credited West Virginia’s strict immunization policies for the state’s herd immunity to the disease.
The DH recently set up a way for West Virginia residents to access their vaccination records at MyIRMobile for free. Patients or guardians can review their immunization history and print their official records from the site or app.
Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Marshall Health.