Ohio’s health director says state’s stance on vaccine mandates hasn’t changed

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — As Florida looks to end vaccine mandates for children attending school, the Ohio Department of Health’s director said the state’s stance hasn’t changed.

Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff told NBC4 the Ohio Department of Health’s stance is that all kids should get the recommended, routine childhood vaccines.

Currently, all 50 states have vaccine mandates for children attending school, but Florida’s surgeon general said those mandates restrict parents’ ability to make health decisions for their children.

“We’re one plane trip away from someone accidentally bringing those diseases back into our communities,” Vanderhoff said. “And we’ve had outbreaks of measles here in Ohio just in the past year.”

Vanderhoff said the recommended childhood vaccines have long track records, and the department is confident in their safety. This time of year, he said, is typically when there is an uptick in illnesses — especially respiratory — as children head back to school.

Not vaccinating children can put them at risk of getting a serious illness, Vanderhoff said.

“Invariably, those outbreaks involve people who are poorly vaccinated or unvaccinated,” he said.