Sharing the following message from Stand for Kids.
The League of Women Voters of WV supports vaccinations for WV children.
FOLKS,
It’s “VACCINE WEEK”! The 2026 session of the WV Legislature starts Wednesday, January 14.
PLEASE CALL OR E-MAIL YOUR LEGISLATORS (2 senators, 1 delegate)…and also the following:
Senate President Randy Smith 304-357-7995
randy.smith@wvsenate.gov
Speaker Roger Hanshaw 304-340-3210
roger.hanshaw@wvhouse.gov
Chair of their respective Health & Human Resources Committee:
Sen. Laura Wakim Chapman 304-357-7918
laura.chapman@wvsenate.gov
Del. Evan Worrell 304-340-3269
evan.worrell@wvhouse.gov
- thank them for their service, and if they voted to preserve our school vaccine law (see vote record below), for protecting our kids from dangerous and preventable diseases & deaths;
- ask them to please KEEP OUR LAW—NO EXEMPTIONS/NO EXCEPTIONS except medical;
- thank them for their “Jobs First” focus this session.
Other talking points (you can include some, all, or none):
- WV is #1 in the country in school vaccine rates
- 43 states reported measles last year, including all 5 states that border WV—but not in WV, BECAUSE we have a strong vaccine law!
- Recent polls show West Virginians overwhelmingly support our school vaccine law
- Vaccines completely eliminated smallpox & greatly reduced other diseases
- When kids are in close contact for hours each day, high vaccine rates stop the spread of disease. This keeps schools & childcare centers safe
- Last year in Kentucky, 3 infants died of whooping cough (pertussis). Our state epidemiologist issued a health alert Nov 6: WV now has an increase in whooping cough cases not seen in 15 years!
- When states have religious or philosophical exemptions, 2 things happen:
- vaccine rates go down;
- diseases go up–AND the costs to the community go UP!
Not sure who your delegate or senator is?
Use:
a) WV Voter Map, or
b) ballotpedia.org/who_represents_me
Thanks, all!
Robin L. Godfrey
Chair, Stand for Kids
“Stand for Kids is a nonpartisan grassroots organization working to preserve West Virginia’s medical-exemptions-only school immunization law, protecting our children and families from dangerous and preventable diseases and deaths.”