WV health officer McDaniel agrees with Morrisey on school vaccine exemptions

“I agree with Gov. Morrisey’s position that no West Virginian should ever be forced to choose between their religious convictions and access to education,� he said in response to questions from West Virginia Watch. “Our governor’s leadership makes clear that protecting fundamental freedoms can go hand-in-hand with safeguarding public health.�

McDaniel fills a role that’s been empty since December, when former health officer Dr. Matt Christiansen resigned. 

The state Department of Health declined West Virginia Watch’s request to interview McDaniel, saying he was getting acclimated to his new position. A spokeswoman for the department returned West Virginia Watch’s questions with answers on his behalf.

McDaniel said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s child and adolescent vaccination schedule is the “recognized national standard for preventing serious illnesses� like polio and measles and that vaccines are “one of the tools proven to reduce disease, hospitalization, and death.� 

“As West Virginia’s state health officer, my responsibility is twofold: first, to provide families with clear, accurate information rooted in science so that parents can make the best choices for their children; and second, to weigh the overall impact on public health, schools, and communities,� he wrote. “Protecting children from preventable disease strengthens families and keeps our communities safe, but at the same time, we respect the role of parents as the primary decision-makers for their children’s health.�

All states require school children to get a series of vaccines for infectious diseases including measles, polio and chicken pox. West Virginia is one of only five states that have not allowed religious or philosophical exemptions for the shots. The state has only allowed medical exemptions. 

Morrisey issued an executive order on his second day in office requiring the state to allow religious exemptions. The order has not been rescinded, though the state Legislature this year rejected a bill that would have set the exemptions in state law. A poll released Tuesday from West Virginia MetroNews indicates that 71% of respondents support the state’s school vaccination requirements. 

Morrisey argues the state’s 2023 Equal Protection for Religion Act, read along the state’s vaccination requirements, allows the religious exemptions.

The governor said in a news conference June 24 that as far as his administration was aware, allowing the religious exemption would not lead to any “negative public health effect� for the state.

Asked about Morrisey’s comment, McDaniel said from a health perspective, his responsibility is to educate families about the risks of disease, support informed decisions and maintain strong vaccine coverage. 

“Nearly every other state — 45 across the country — already recognizes religious exemptions,� he said. “West Virginia should not stand alone in denying that choice.�

“The balance we seek is straightforward: uphold individual liberty and religious freedom while continuing to use sound public health strategies to protect our citizens,� McDaniel said. 

Morrisey’s Health Secretary Arvin Singh has also spoken in support of religious exemptions. Singh said that the executive order “ensures that people of faith are not punished for making personal, prayerful decisions about their children’s health.�

In a social media comment, McDaniel linked a deadly measles outbreak in Texas to migrants crossing the country’s southern border. 

“Stop illegals from bringing it across the border,� McDaniel wrote in a comment on Linkedin. 

McDaniel confirmed to West Virginia Watch that he made the comment. He said his point was not to assign blame, but to highlight “a matter of policy consistency.�

“When we talk about protecting public health, it has to apply across the board,� McDaniel said. “We asked West Virginia parents to follow certain requirements in order to send their children to school. At the same time, we had a federal border policy that too often allowed illegal entry without the same level of health screening or accountability.

“That inconsistency undermines confidence in our system,� he said. “My concern is ensuring that our policies are fair, consistent, and protective of both public health and individual rights.�

Texas health officials say they don’t know what led to a measles outbreak that hospitalized nearly 100 people and killed two children. 

Lara Anton, a senior press officer for the Texas Department of Health Services, noted that measles is highly contagious: 90% of people who are not immune to it will get sick if exposed. Cases in the U.S. are often related to international travel to somewhere that measles is still circulating, she said. 

“All we know is that someone who was sick with measles came into contact with a community with low immunity while they were infectious and that sparked an outbreak,� Anton said. 

McDaniel’s comment has drawn criticism from state Democrats.

In a video posted on the social media platform X, state Democratic party chairman Mike Pushkin said “it’s safe to say that what took Gov. Morrisey so long to appoint a public health officer is that he needed to find a doctor who shared some of his very unscientific views.�

McDaniel said his commitment as state health officer is to serve the state with “ honesty, transparency, and accountability.�

“Our focus is on strengthening public health while respecting the values and freedoms of every individual,� he said. “Guided by the governor’s four pillars — we will keep communities safe and build a healthier, stronger future for our state.�