West Virginia school vaccine exemptions

Medical exemption. This is the only exemption West Virginia’s school immunization law recognizes. A physician submits the request, and it is reviewed by the state’s Immunization Officer, who can approve or deny it. Ask any practice you’re considering whether its physicians will submit a medical exemption request when a child has a contraindication. Many will not.

Religious exemption: in dispute. In January 2025 Governor Morrisey issued an executive order directing the health department to grant religious exemptions. The legislature did not pass a matching bill. In November 2025 a Raleigh County circuit judge ruled that schools must accept those exemptions, but in December 2025 the West Virginia Supreme Court stayed that ruling while the state Board of Education appeals, and the Board directed county schools not to accept religious exemptions in the meantime. As of mid-2026 the Supreme Court had not issued a final decision, and a federal appeals court separately upheld the vaccine requirement in May 2026.

What this means for choosing a pediatrician. With no working non-medical exemption for school, a practice that dismisses families over vaccine decisions leaves you with fewer places to go. Ask directly whether the practice keeps patients who delay or decline vaccines, and whether it will see a child who is not attending a school that requires them.

Check before you rely on this. This situation has changed several times since 2025. Confirm the current rule with your county school board or the state health department before enrolling.