WTRF 7 News Sports Weather - Wheeling SteubenvilleVaccinations Spark Heated Debate in West Virginia

Vaccinations Spark Heated Debate in West Virginia

West Virginia joins Mississippi as one of only two states in the nation to require vaccinations for school children.

The issue has sparked major controversy in the state and has now made it's way to Charleston.

Senate Bill 50 was introduced on January 11th.

The bill is gaining support from groups across the Mountain State, including John Grindley, a lobbyist who's been spear-heading the efforts.

Grindley is heading a group called West Virginians for Vaccination Exemption.

He also created a video called "Follow The Money", which gives a brief background of how West Virginia has 'sold out' to the Drug Companies.

If passed, Senate Bill 50 would put in place two new exemptions for vaccinations; Religious and Philosophical.

As it's written, all a parent would have to do is claim one of those exemptions.

Right now, that is not the case.

"Unless a child has some type of reaction to a vaccination, then generally there are no exemptions," says Melissa Soltiesz, a registered school nurse at Ohio County Schools.

Soltiesz says she's seen a handful of parents who have expressed concerns about vaccinating their children.  However, she says it doesn't change the fact that it's law.

"We believe it does keep down the rate of disease in West Virginia and in Ohio County," says Howard Gamble, MPH, Administrator with the Wheeling Ohio County Health Department. "If you allow non-medical exemptions, we do think, based on what has happened in other states, that you would see in increase in disease."

The only exemption currently allowed is a medical exemption. The child's physician would have to recommend the exemption to the county health officer, who then approves or disapproves the request.

According to Soltiesz, to attend public or private school in West Virginia, a child will have to receive nine vaccinations while in pre-school, and then six shots for ten different diseases between kindergarten and twelfth grade.

Soltiesz says a new interpretive rule is in effect for next year, that will add three more vaccines for kids in seventh through twelfth grades.

Senate Bill 50 was sent to the Education Committee for approval. If it passes it will then move to the Judiciary Committee before the Senate votes on it.

7News is working on taking a deeper look into these issues. For more information on West Virginians for Vaccination Exemption, visit http://www.wvve.info/