CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - The West Virginia Board of Education is supporting new schoolchildren vaccine requirements imposed by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
The board says it's filed a friend of the court brief backing the requirements in a court case that challenges their legality.
Incoming seventh-graders in West Virginia are required to show proof they have received one dose of vaccines against meningitis, tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis. Incoming 12th-graders must show proof they received booster doses after age 16.
The vaccinations are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. Board members approved a resolution on Wednesday endorsing the CDC's recommendations.
State Superintendent of Schools Jorea Marple says immunizations are a vital part of public health.
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