2026 · School entry
West Virginia school & kindergarten vaccine requirements
To enter kindergarten in West Virginia, children generally need 5 vaccines — DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB. Below is what each one protects against, how exemptions and provisional enrollment work, and the official West Virginia source. Hepatitis A is not required for kindergarten entry here.
Key takeaways
- To enter kindergarten in West Virginia, children generally need 5 vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB.
- No. West Virginia does not require hepatitis A (HepA) for kindergarten entry, although the CDC still recommends it for children. Your required list is DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB.
- West Virginia exemptions: medical available; religious available; personal belief not available. Confirm on the official source.
- Standard core. HepA not required. Religious exemptions are available under Executive Order 7-25 (2025); medical exemptions are decided by the State Immunization Officer.
Which vaccines does West Virginia require for kindergarten?
Each card links to a full guide for that vaccine — brands, ingredients, and how a delayed schedule changes the dose count.
West Virginia specifics
Standard core. HepA not required. Religious exemptions are available under Executive Order 7-25 (2025); medical exemptions are decided by the State Immunization Officer.
What does West Virginia say about exemptions?
- Medical Available
- Religious Available
- Personal belief Not available
How does the process work?
Medical: a physician submits a Request for Medical Exemption from Compulsory Immunization to the State Immunization Officer (a physician employed by the State Bureau for Public Health), who approves or denies it within 20 days; unfavorable decisions can be reviewed by the State Health Officer. Religious: under Executive Order 7-25 (signed January 14, 2025), the parent emails a signed letter with a wet signature to VaccineExemption@wv.gov giving the student's name and date of birth, parent or guardian name, intended school or child care center, and mailing address; requests are renewed each school year. WV DOH notes it does not oversee exemptions for colleges, universities or vocational programs.
WV OEPS - Religious and Philosophical Exemptions ↗ (opens in a new tab)
This summarizes what the state's own pages say, reviewed September 30, 2026. It is not advice for or against any option. Laws and forms change; confirm with your school or health department. Compare all states in the exemptions overview, or see glossary definitions.
What is provisional enrollment?
Many states permit provisional or conditional enrollment, which lets a child start school while still catching up on a series that has already been started. Rules and time limits vary, so ask your school. The catch-up guide explains how remaining doses are counted.
Where are West Virginia's official requirements?
The authoritative reference for West Virginia is the state's own published requirements. Always verify dose counts, grade ranges, and exemptions there — those details change and are not all captured here.
immunize.org — HepA school requirements (2025) →
More questions about West Virginia school vaccines
Which vaccines does West Virginia require for kindergarten?
For kindergarten entry, West Virginia requires 5 vaccines: DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB. These protect against diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough (pertussis); polio; measles, mumps, rubella. Dose counts and grade ranges can vary — always confirm on the official West Virginia source.
Does West Virginia require the hepatitis A vaccine for school?
No. West Virginia does not require hepatitis A (HepA) for kindergarten entry, although the CDC still recommends it for children. Your required list is DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB.
Can my child start school in West Virginia on a delayed vaccine schedule?
Often it can. A slower, spaced-out schedule can still satisfy West Virginia's rules as long as the required series (DTaP, IPV, MMR, VAR, HepB) are finished — or, in many districts, in progress under provisional/conditional enrollment — by the first day of school. The free planner builds a plan that finishes every required vaccine in time. Confirm the specifics with your school district and your child's healthcare practitioner.
Does West Virginia allow vaccine exemptions?
West Virginia: Medical exemptions are available, religious exemptions are available, and personal-belief exemptions are not available. Medical: a physician submits a Request for Medical Exemption from Compulsory Immunization to the State Immunization Officer (a physician employed by the State Bureau for Public Health), who approves or denies it within 20 days; unfavorable decisions can be reviewed by the State Health Officer. Religious: under Executive Order 7-25 (signed January 14, 2025), the parent emails a signed letter with a wet signature to VaccineExemption@wv.gov giving the student's name and date of birth, parent or guardian name, intended school or child care center, and mailing address; requests are renewed each school year. WV DOH notes it does not oversee exemptions for colleges, universities or vocational programs. Rules and forms change, so confirm with WV OEPS - Religious and Philosophical Exemptions or your school.
Plan West Virginia-ready vaccinations on a slower schedule
Want to space shots out but still finish every required vaccine before the first day of school? Build a spaced-out, minimum-dose plan you can review with your child's healthcare practitioner.
Build my plan →Sources
The state's own page is the authority; the others are cross-checks.