Courtney Vandall
On a scale of “Strongly Agree” (5) to “Strongly Disagree,” (1) rank your position on the following statements:
Vaccines are safe:
Vaccines are effective at preventing disease:
Keeping children safe is a shared responsibility:
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?
I think vaccines should be affordable if not free for all people, but especially for rural and underserved communties. I also think clinics should be done in these areas, much like we do rabies clinics for dogs, where individuals can come and get inexpensive vaccines if they need/want them.
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.
I would work with public health officials to plan the best course of action while I determine policy actions I can take.
Is there anything else you would like West Virginia voters to know about your approach to public health, community wellbeing, and/or vaccines?
We need to trust the science that has kept us safe for decades. As an immunocompromised individual it touches me specifically and I think about other people in my situation it breaks my heart knowing that individuals who can't be vaccinated or who vaccines aren't as effective might have to miss work or be put in physical life threatening danger when there is an easy way to protect individuals.
