Ohio children would be required to be immunized against certain diseases to attend licensed day care and preschool under bipartisan legislation introduced Tuesday.
Ohio is the only state without immunization requirements for children in licensed pre-kindergarten settings. House Bill 536 would require children be immunized according to the schedule set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention before attending a center or home daycare center licensed by the state.
The bill maintains exemptions for medical or religious and personal reasons.
Bill sponsor Rep. Nickie Antonio, a Lakewood Democrat, said recent outbreaks of preventable diseases show more protection is needed for children. The central Ohio mumps outbreak has grown to 342 cases as of Monday, according to the Columbus Public Health. A measles outbreak has infected 68 people in Ohio at last count, with reports of Parma students being exposed to the disease.
An estimated 66.8 percent of Ohio children age 19 to 35 months received the combined vaccine series including MMR, according to the 2012 National Immunization Survey. The national average was 68.4 percent.
Dr. Jonathan Thackeray, chief of center for family safety and healing at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, said vaccine education, not access, has kept many children from being immunized.
“Parents are scared to vaccinate their children and their fears are based on old science that has been shown to be poor and inaccurate,” Thackeray said.
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