CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A newly introduced bill in the West Virginia Senate would remove hepatitis B and meningococcal meningitis vaccines from the list of required immunizations for children attending school or state-regulated child care centers.
Senate Bill 731, introduced by Sen. Rucker during the 2026 Regular Legislative Session, proposes amending state law to eliminate the two vaccines from West Virginia’s compulsory school immunization requirements.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on Health and Human Resources.
If passed, students would still be required to receive other vaccinations currently mandated by state law, including those for measles, mumps, polio, chickenpox, diphtheria, tetanus, rubella, and whooping cough. However, hepatitis B and meningitis would no longer be required for enrollment.
The bill’s justification points to updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, which no longer includes hepatitis B and meningococcal vaccines in its recommended childhood vaccine schedule. Supporters say the legislation aligns state policy with those updated recommendations.
