COLUMBUS, Ohio — A bill that would require all Ohio children enrolled in licensed child-care centers to receive immunizations, with some exceptions, is headed to the state Senate after winning unanimous approval in the House Thursday.
The measure, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Smith (R-Bidwell), requires a parent or guardian to provide written proof that their child has been vaccinated, no later than thirty days after registering, against chicken pox, measles, mumps, and other common childhood ailments.
Exceptions are granted where the vaccination is “medically contraindicated, or inappropriate for the particular child’s health needs,” for reasons of conscience or religious beliefs or if the child ios not the right age for the immunization, Smith said.
Smith pointed to an outbreak of mumps in central Ohio as a example of a reason why the state needs the legislation.
“Children are highly susceptible to such contagious diseases, and in order to better protect the greater public health, children who attend a licensed day-care center should be immunized against them,” he said.