(Source: Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Family Pediatrics)
According to the Ohio Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics (Ohio AAP), its staff and members received dozens of derogatory and threatening comments on social media over the weekend. The culprit was a group of anti-vaxxers opposed to a proposed amendment the Ohio AAP is working on in the state budget that would address Ohio’s low vaccination rates and risk of outbreaks from preventable disease.
The Ohio AAP, represented by Sean Gallagher, MD, testified before the Senate Finance Health and Medicaid Subcommittee last week about the proposed amendment and how it would help improve the health of Ohio’s children. Since then, Dr. Gallagher, Ohio AAP Chief Executive Officer Melissa Wervey Arnold, and the chapter’s Twitter page, have been flooded with social media posts, some threatening physical violence against the Ohio AAP membership. This is simply unacceptable.
An anti-vaccine group made calls all weekend to Ohio Senators and plans to go to the Ohio Statehouse on Wednesday, May 24, and provide testimony against the proposed amendment. Even though they are a small minority, anti-vaxxers mobilize quickly and want lawmakers to believe they are a large number of voters in their communities.
We are asking for you to share your expertise and show lawmakers the truth about vaccines. You can help Ohio’s children with a few simple phone calls, and by sharing your advocacy on your own social media pages. Your state Senator and the members of the Senate Finance and Medicaid Subcommittee must know the FACTS about vaccination:
- Vaccines are safe
- Vaccines work
- The amendment standardizes the process of collecting vaccine rates per school and protects children who are immunocompromised by having the Ohio Department of Health publish those rates by school
- The amendment does NOT take away a parent’s ability to refuse vaccines, rather requires they have a conversation with a health care provider before being able to opt out of vaccines.
For more details, view the Ohio AAP white paper.
- Bob Hackett (R) – Chair – 614.466.3780
- Charleta Tavares (D) – Vice Chair – 614.466.5131 – Twitter @SenatorTavares
- Bill Beagel (R) – 614.466.6247 – Twitter @Bill_Beagle
- Edna Brown (D) – 614.466.5204 – Twitter @Sen_Edna_Brown
- Dave Burke (R) – 614.466.8049 – Twitter: @burkeforohio
- William Coley, II (R) – 614.466.8072 – Twitter @billcoleyoh
- Jay Hottinger (R) – 614.466.5838 – Twitter @JayHottinger
- Lou Terhar (R) – 614.466.8068
If you have questions, please contact Ms. Wervey Arnold or call 614.846.6258. This is an important piece of legislation for Ohio’s children, and we cannot allow a vocal and uninformed minority to threaten the amendment’s future.