A new law going into effect Wednesday bans vaccine mandates in Ohio public schools.The law was passed in July and bans public school mandates of any vaccine that has not been fully approved by the FDA.Pfizer has been fully approved for anyone over the age of 16.Cincinnati Public Schools are as affected as any district by the new law.“We’re the only district in Ohio who has a vaccination requirement for staff,” CPS board member Mike Moroski said.Moroski said there is also a plan for a student vaccine mandate in the works.“As policy chair, I ensured the language in our policy mirrored what the state law was going to be, which is what it is now, meaning if you wanted the vaccination, you had to get one that had FDA approval,” Moroski said.There is also a component of the new law that says vaccinated and unvaccinated must be treated the same. So, schools could not put unvaccinated students in separate classrooms or require them to go to virtual school, unless it applies to all students.There is a difference of opinion about whether schools can require unvaccinated to get regular COVID-19 tests.“Our policy of submitting a negative test, there’s nothing in this state law that prohibits us from doing that,” Moroski said.Others believe students and staff cannot be required to take the COVID-19 tests.“I think that would percolate in the courts a little bit, just off of the initial reading, I’d say ‘no’ they cannot,” attorney Jason Phillabaum said.Phillabaum said there are more vaccine mandate bans yet to come.“This was passed three or four months ago when they first started to make mandates, and now, I think you’re starting to see some updated legislation that would prohibit the fully approved vaccine mandates as well,” Phillabaum said.If the student vaccine mandate gets out of committee, CPS will vote on it on Oct. 28.
A new law going into effect Wednesday bans vaccine mandates in Ohio public schools.
The law was passed in July and bans public school mandates of any vaccine that has not been fully approved by the FDA.
Pfizer has been fully approved for anyone over the age of 16.
Cincinnati Public Schools are as affected as any district by the new law.
“We’re the only district in Ohio who has a vaccination requirement for staff,” CPS board member Mike Moroski said.
Moroski said there is also a plan for a student vaccine mandate in the works.
“As policy chair, I ensured the language in our policy mirrored what the state law was going to be, which is what it is now, meaning if you wanted the vaccination, you had to get one that had FDA approval,” Moroski said.
There is also a component of the new law that says vaccinated and unvaccinated must be treated the same. So, schools could not put unvaccinated students in separate classrooms or require them to go to virtual school, unless it applies to all students.
There is a difference of opinion about whether schools can require unvaccinated to get regular COVID-19 tests.
“Our policy of submitting a negative test, there’s nothing in this state law that prohibits us from doing that,” Moroski said.
Others believe students and staff cannot be required to take the COVID-19 tests.
“I think that would percolate in the courts a little bit, just off of the initial reading, I’d say ‘no’ they cannot,” attorney Jason Phillabaum said.
Phillabaum said there are more vaccine mandate bans yet to come.
“This was passed three or four months ago when they first started to make mandates, and now, I think you’re starting to see some updated legislation that would prohibit the fully approved vaccine mandates as well,” Phillabaum said.
If the student vaccine mandate gets out of committee, CPS will vote on it on Oct. 28.
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