Ohio Bill Seeks to Remove Hepatitis B From Preschool Vaccine Requirements
A new Ohio proposal, House Bill 561, is sparking significant concern among pediatricians and public health professionals.
The bill seeks to remove the requirement for hepatitis B vaccination for children in child care and preschool programs, while also preventing schools from keeping unvaccinated students out during disease outbreaks.
Introduced by Representatives Melanie Miller and Monica Robb Blasdel, the bill is framed as an effort to reinforce medical, religious, and conscientious exemptions already available under Ohio law. The sponsors argue that parents should not face confusion or barriers when seeking exemptions for their children.
However, pediatric experts warn that the legislation could weaken essential public health safeguards. Ohio’s childhood vaccination rates have declined in recent years, falling below the national average, and health professionals fear the bill may accelerate this trend.
They note that removing vaccine requirements, especially for a disease like hepatitis B, which the CDC has recommended immunizing infants against since 1991, could increase vulnerability among young children.
Another major concern is the bill’s restriction on schools’ ability to manage disease outbreaks. Under current protocols, unvaccinated or undocumented students may be temporarily kept out of school during an outbreak to protect the wider student population.
Pediatricians argue that eliminating this safeguard could heighten the spread of disease, pointing to the recent measles outbreak in New Albany as a clear example of why these measures matter.
Health leaders also warn that the bill’s limits on documentation could create confusion about which children are vaccinated and which are not, complicating outbreak response and delaying protective actions.
As the bill awaits hearings in the Ohio House Health Committee, pediatricians urge lawmakers to consider the broader public health implications. They stress that vaccine decisions should be grounded in medical guidance, not political rhetoric, and that the priority must remain the safety and well-being of children.
This issue touches directly on the Child’s Right to Health, which guarantees every child protection from preventable diseases and access to the highest attainable standard of health.
