Kevin Westley Carpenter
On a scale of “Strongly Agree” (5) to “Strongly Disagree,” (1) rank your position on the following statements:
Vaccines are safe: 4
Vaccines are effective at preventing disease: 4
Keeping children safe is a shared responsibility: 5
What is your position on West Virginia’s current school vaccine requirements (which allow only medical exemptions)?
Maintain current requirements
In your view, what role should the state play in ensuring access to vaccines—especially in rural or underserved communities?
A proactive role, backed by science, with community outreach and education to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of vaccines while acknowledging the minor and/or uncommon risks associated. E.g. allergic reactions for a small number of individuals or not true 100% efficacy for some vaccines/individuals. A warts and all but overall favorable campaign promoting vaccines in our communities that appropriately illustrates that the pros far outweigh the cons, and adverse reactions are rare when we are talking about vaccines. Making vaccines readily available and providing whatever resources they can at the state, county, and local levels.
Which of the following best reflects your understanding?
Vaccines primarily protect the individual receiving them
Vaccines help protect both individuals and the broader community
Vaccination is largely a personal decision with limited community impact
Vaccination is a personal decision regardless of community impact
If a preventable disease outbreak (such as measles) occurred in your district, what actions—if any—would you take as a policymaker (e.g., make a statement regarding safety, coordinate with public health officials, take policy actions, encourage vaccination, etc.
Go on the record, on any and every media outlet I had access to, stressing the longterm and widespread historic use and importance of vaccines for serious communicable diseases. Ensure state resources/attention are immediately diverted to my district, meet with the local and state level health departments and administrations, speak at PTA Conferences at the local schools, and take every preemptive and retroactive action possible to mitigate the spread of the disease and increase awareness on the part of the public.
Is there anything else you would like West Virginia voters to know about your approach to public health, community wellbeing, and/or vaccines?
