COLUMBUS – It didn’t take long for a flurry of private and public employers to require workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 after the federal government gave full approval to the Pfizer shot.
Within 24 hours of the approval being granted, Ohio State announced all students, faculty and staff will have to get at least their first dose of a vaccine by Oct. 15 and be fully vaccinated by Nov. 15.
“The university is taking this step because vaccines are the safest and most effective form of protection against COVID-19,” university president Dr. Kristina Johnson said in a statement posted on the university website.
With Monday’s news that the U.S. FDA has granted full approval to the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Ohio State will now require every student, faculty and staff member to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
— Ohio State (@OhioState) August 24, 2021
Johnson said the decision was made because of a dramatic rise in new cases of COVID-19, due to the highly contagious delta variant, which she says can be more severe and may affect younger people in higher percentages than the original coronavirus strain.
“We are focused on enhancing the health and safety of our community. This step will increase our ability to support our students in continuing their educational experiences as well as help protect our current and the state’s future workforce,” she wrote.
Johnson says 73% of the OSU community has started the vaccination process.
All 14 state universities in Ohio are at least requiring masks indoors and several universities have incentive programs for vaccinated students who voluntarily report their vaccination status.
The University of Akron is the only state college requiring students to report their vaccination status before the semester starts.
“I think it’s a really good idea that they’re keeping track of who is unvaccinated and making them get tested. It’s the only way to keep everyone as safe as possible when the delta variant is on the loose,” incoming freshman Romeo Pitts-Medley said.
Ohio State, Miami, Shawnee State and Wright State University are among the schools offering vaccines for students, staff and faculty on their campuses.
General Assembly revives vaccination mandate ban
Ohio lawmakers resumed debate on a bill that would prohibit public and private employers from requiring vaccinations or punishing workers who don’t receive them.
Hundreds of demonstrators turned up outside the Statehouse Tuesday to show their support for the bill while the Republican-controlled House Health Committee held a hearing inside.
The legislation has found support among some who don’t want to take a coronavirus vaccine, but it also covers all other vaccines.
Opponents include major Ohio business groups and hospitals, state associations of doctors and nurses, and other health care groups.
State reaches vaccination milestone
The state health department has reported that more than 6 million of Ohioans, or 60%, of the eligible population — ages 12 and up — have started the COVID-19 vaccination process.
Ohioans can schedule a vaccination appointment online.
“This is an important milestone because as more Ohioans gain robust immunity through vaccination, we reduce the opportunities for this virus to spread, mutate, and inflict serious harm,” Department of Health director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said. “COVID-19 vaccines are our best protection, and our way out of this pandemic.”
The 4,117 new cases of COVID-19 reported on Tuesday was the highest number since early February. To date, 1.19 million Ohioans have been diagnose with COVID-19 and 20,729 have died.