Ohio bill would prohibit mandatory vaccines, status disclosure

CINCINNATI (FOX19) - An Ohio state representative from West Chester is sponsoring a bill that says people have the right to decide when it comes to getting vaccinated.

The Vaccine Choice and Anti-Discrimination Act would prohibit mandatory vaccinations and status disclosures.

“There are eleven and a half million people in Ohio,” Republican representative Jennifer Gross said in a news release. “Many people across the state may be likely to decline vaccines like the COVID-19 vaccine for conscientious, religious, or medical reasons. Without the exemption provisions this bill provides, the notion of a vaccine passport could easily lead to a class system in Ohio where segregation and discrimination will proliferate.”

The bill would also prohibit:

• Mandating, requiring, or otherwise asking a person to disclose their vaccine status or participate in a vaccine passport system, vaccine registry, or other methods designed for the purpose of tracking a person’s vaccine status
• Disclosing a person’s vaccination status
• Making public a person’s vaccine status

Under House Bill 248, people who do not get vaccinated will still be able to function and operate in the state just as those who have been given a vaccine, and the bill would prevent all discriminatory treatment.

“This is a matter of freedom,” Gross said. “The purpose of this legislation is to allow people to choose to do what they feel is best for their own body and protect individuals from any consequences or hardships for choosing one way or the other.”

House Bill 248 also states someone can file a civil lawsuit if they feel their rights have been violated.

A house committee is expected to hear testimony on the bill Tuesday, May 25.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click here to report it. Please include title of story.

Copyright 2021 WXIX. All rights reserved.