Eliminating hepatitis-b and meningitis as required vaccines

SB 731 removes hepatitis-B and meningitis vaccines from West Virginia's mandatory school immunization requirements for students entering public, private, or parochial schools and state-regulated child care centers. The bill amends West Virginia Code §16-3-4 to delete these two vaccines from the list of required immunizations, which previously included chickenpox, measles, mumps, and others. This change aligns with updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations that no longer include hepatitis-B and meningococcal meningitis vaccines in the standard childhood schedule. The policy directly affects all students seeking enrollment in schools or childcare centers across West Virginia.