As a father to 3 teens, and a Virginia resident since 1997, I have thought much about this question.  

I strongly support repealing Virginia's Regulations for the Immunization of School Children.

My daughter has a life threatening food allergy and my son has pretty serious eczema.  Because of this, in consultation with various health professionals (MD's, allergy specialists, and alternative/complementary providers), I created a custom health plan including custom vaccination schedules that focused only on the most serious of vaccine-preventable diseases.  Can somebody prove that it is a good idea for their long-term health to continually ramp up their already dangerously over-reactive immune systems?  Parents must be free to do what is best for their children.  I view this as my sacred duty that may not be interfered with by gov't.  

Virginia should lead the way in discarding the harmful one-size-fits-all school vaccination schedule and recognize the right of parents to do what is best for their children.  Even more so, we need to disconnect our vaccine regs from the ever-growing CDC schedule.  As we saw from CDC's Covid mismanagement and dishonesty, the CDC simply cannot be trusted. 

On the other hand, parents can be trusted to do what is best for their children.  The ever-growing full CDC vaccine schedule is not what is best for all children.  If anybody claims that it is, then I pose three challenges:  (1) show me the science that proves that, (2) show me the science that proves it is safe for kids with serious immune system issues, and (3) explain how the CDC's schedule is of superior science to Japan's or Denmark's (both recommend fewer vaccines).  The fact is, the CDC's schedule is not science-based, it's lobby-based.  Just like the presence of the HPV vaccine on VA's required-for-school list of vaccines.  

We homeschooled for a time because of how Fairfax County shut down schools and then required masks and even the Covid vaccine for sports participation -- regardless of the emerging knowledge of the risks to children of myocarditis and pericarditis.   I believe that Virginia should not require homeschoolers to show proof of vaccination; this is gov't overreach and infringes upon the rights of parents.  

Here's the thing.  Forcing one-size-fits-all anything on people will cause harm.  Whether it's pants, shoes, education, healthcare, diets, retirement plans or vaccines.  It causes harm because people are different.  If we really want to learn to love and respect diversity, diversity of health care choices should be the next great frontier.  Why?  Because this promotes understanding and respect of our different genetics, biology and family health histories.  

Sincerely,

Chris Downey
Annandale, VA