The Ohio Champions for Vaccines (OV4V) Steering Committee met on January 31. Ohio Academy of Family Physicians Executive Vice President Ann Spicer is a member of the steering committee. OC4V is a group of Ohioans advocating for vaccines and spreading accurate information about the disease burden, safety, and effectiveness of vaccines.
Supporters of limiting or restricting vaccine mandates have now backed away from their original efforts to pass legislation through the typical General Assembly process and are now focused on gathering signatures to pursue restrictions through an initiated statute process. The initiated statute process is an expensive (estimated at $1.8 million) undertaking.
The Safe Communities Coalition reviewed plans for issuing a candidate questionnaire for completion by those running for the Ohio General Assembly. The coalition seeks to determine candidate positions on vaccine issues – whether candidates are supportive of vaccines and science or whether they are anti-vaccine and anti-science. The coalition will publish a voter guide based on responses received so voters have that information to review prior to casting their vote. Anti-vaccination groups have published voter guides in the past and supporters of vaccines are making an effort to “catch up” in using this tool to provide information.
The Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics also has a podcast about how quickly the environment in the Ohio General Assembly has changed relative to vaccines.
The coalition also discussed goals for 2022.