While the school districts are prohibited from mandating people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, the Ohio Department of Health is issuing guidance strongly recommending students and staff get the shot before the new school year.
The health department is calling on local schools to follow three basic principles of fighting COVID-19. Bruce Vanderhoff, chief medical officer, says results of low spread in schools during the 2020-21 school year is proof that these steps help.
The three steps include:
- Vaccinations for anyone who is eligible
- Masks for anyone who is not vaccinated
- Basic protocols to stopping the spread of the virus, including social distancing and hand washing
Vanderhoff says these are only recommendations and not mandates: "We are mindful of some of the regulations and the like that are at play here in Ohio."
The legislature passed a bill prohibiting schools from requiring people to get the COVID-19 vaccine, which Gov. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) signed into law.
The decision to require masks is being made at the district level, but there’s a bill that would ban schools from requiring masks too.
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