The Vaccine Coalition, of which the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians is a member, submitted testimony opposing HB 435. The legislation that establishes wide exemptions from COVID-19 vaccine mandates for reasons of medical contraindications, natural immunity, or rights of conscience, received hearings in the House Commerce and Labor Committee on October 6 and 7.
The bill generally applies to public and private employers, including schools, colleges, and universities, barring any mandate for a vaccine that does not have a biologics license from the Food and Drug Administration. The bill excludes a few groups from the ability to seek exemptions: employees of children’s hospitals, those working in intensive or critical care units of hospitals, students whose education involves training in those settings, and employers involved in infectious disease research who are subject to federal orders. Also included in the legislation is a ban on requiring proof of vaccination for entry to government facilities, including facilities leased to private a organization — a detail that encompasses some of the state’s professional sports stadiums.
The Ohio Department of Health is directed under the bill to set rules for how frequently employees or students claiming the natural immunity exemption would need to be re-tested to demonstrate the continued presence of antibodies.