West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey on his first full day in office issued an executive order allowing for religious exemptions from mandatory school vaccinations, ending one of the most restrictive vaccination policies in the country.

"We're ensuring that the current policy, which does not recognize a religious and conscientious exemption for vaccines — that is being changed," he said at a news conference.

The exemption will be available to anyone who wants to send their child to school but objects on "religious or conscientious grounds" to one or more of the vaccines required by the state's compulsory immunization law.

To comply with the new order parents need only provide a written statement on why they object to the vaccines.