(Editorial - Graphic Illustration - MetroCreativeConnection)

As results of the annual WV MetroNews West Virginia Poll by Research America continue to be unpacked, lawmakers who held their ground on vaccine requirements last winter learned their stance reflected the will of the majority of registered voters who were polled.

Nearly three-quarters of those respondents said they were in favor of strong vaccine requirements for school-aged children.

In answer to the question “Should states require children in grades K-12 to be vaccinated against highly contagious disease before entering school,” 71% said yes, and 12% said they were not sure. Only 17% of respondents said no.

For those wondering, 65% of Republicans, 61% of those who said they were conservatives, and 75% of those older than 55 answered in the affirmative.

Again, these were registered voters, from all 55 counties, balanced based on gender, Census regions, political party and political ideology. Their response was overwhelmingly in favor of the state’s compulsory immunization law.

That law is State Code 16-3-1, requiring children attending school to show proof of immunization for diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and hepatitis B unless proof of a medical exemption can be shown.

And the support shown this year for requirements in that law is similar to support shown by the registered voters who were asked the same question for this poll last year.

It’s enough to make one wonder how so many politicians have been fooled into believing the small percentage of those who oppose the law are larger and more powerful than they actually are.

The numbers don’t lie. And while it is not the job of those on the state Supreme Court of Appeals to pay attention to opinion polls, it IS the job of lawmakers to continue to represent the needs and desires of their constituency.

Those folks have spoken (again). They want lawmakers to back off the socio-cultural nonsense and focus on jobs and the economy; and they support the vaccine requirements law that is already on the books.

Yes, West Virginia has higher childhood vaccination rates than the national average. That is a GOOD thing.

Voters know it, and they’ve let lawmakers and other elected officials know what their priorities should be.