Lawmakers in Ohio are considering legislation that would stop employers, including hospitals, from mandating employees get vaccinations.
The legislation would allow “the ‘Medical Consumer Protection Act’ to prohibit an employer from taking an adverse employment action against a person who has not been or will not be vaccinated,” according to House Bill 268.
Proponents of the bill say they are leery of the safety and efficacy of vaccinations, and others say its a rights issue, according to CNN affiliate WHIO. Meanwhile, opponents of the bill say it has the potential to put patients at risk. if healthcare workers go unvaccinated and pass on a life threatening disease.
This isn’t the only vaccination-related bill pending in the Ohio General Assembly. House Bill 132 would require schools to notify parents of immunization requirements, and the schools would also be required to inform parents of how to opt out of the vaccinations.
All 50 states have legislation requiring specific vaccines for students but exemptions vary from state to state. According to The National Conference of State Legislatures, 45 states and Washington DC allow for exemptions for people who object to immunizations on religious grounds. And 15 states allow for philosophical exemptions for those who object to immunizations because of personal, moral or other beliefs.
The bill is sponsored by Ohio state Rep. Ron Hood, a Republican, and Rep. Bernadine Kennedy Kent, a Democrat.
