FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 23, 2004

West Virginians for Vaccination Exemption
Demands Amendments to SB439

Charleston and Fairmont, WV — West Virginians for Vaccination Exemption (WVVE) are holding two simultaneous protest rallies today to demand amendments to Senate Bill 439.  The protests will be held outside the state capitol in Charleston, WV and outside the Marion County Courthouse in Fairmont, WV from noon to one o'clock.  Human Life International will participate in the protests held in Charleston.  Homeschooling parents will be among the protesters in Fairmont.

Senate Bill 439, introduced by Marion County Senator Roman Prezioso and Harrison County Senator Joseph Minard, will require that "each child" have a record of compulsory immunizations, and "any parent who does not permit his or her child to be immunized" face a criminal charge.  If enacted, this bill will make West Virginia the first state to punish homeschooling parents for choosing not to vaccinate their children for religious and philosophical reasons. 

The bill will also remove the ability of a physician to exercise individual judgment, by forcing him or her to grant medical exemptions for only "commonly accepted practices," which are very limited in scope.  Jane Orient, M.D., of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, has condemned such legislation as the "government practicing medicine without a license."

Hepatitis B and chickenpox vaccines will be added to the list of mandatory vaccines.  The chickenpox vaccine is manufactured with human cell cultures obtained from abortions, and is objectionable to many parents for religious and philosophical reasons.  Parents also object to being forced to vaccinate against Hepatitis B, a disease their children are extremely unlikely to catch.  West Virginia and Mississippi are the only two states that do not allow religious or philosophical exemptions from mandatory vaccinations.

WVVE demands that SB439 be amended to 1) include religious and philosophical exemption from all mandatory vaccinations, 2) eliminate all penalties for parents who choose not to vaccinate, 3) require vaccinations only for children attending school, 4) restore physicians' right to exercise individual expert judgment in issuing medical exemptions, and 5) eliminate the state's "compelling interest" that supercedes parental choice and requires compulsory immunizations for "each child."

"If passed, this bill will turn all West Virginian parents who choose not to vaccinate for religious reasons into criminals or force them to move to another state," says Helen Tucker, co-founder of WVVE and state chair of the Libertarian Party of West Virginia.  "It presents an unprecedented attack on parental choice and religious freedom.  It is not only an insult to free Mountaineers, but it treads on all rights we hold dear in America."

WVVE is a coalition of concerned citizens who believe informed consent is required for all vaccinations, which are medical procedures that carry risks of injury or death.