Here are five things we learned about school immunization in Ohio:
1. Some local schools among the worst for immunization rates
A handful of schools in Cleveland reported that more than 90 percent of their incoming kindergartners began last school year without all required vaccines complete.
No local schools reported vaccination rates that poor, but some reported more than a quarter of their kindergartners did not have all their required shots to start last school year.
| Local rank of worst vaccination rates | School | City | Percent of incoming kindergartners not fully immunized in 2015-16 school year |
| 1 | Gloria Dei Montessori | Dayton | 82% |
| 2 | Imagine Woodbury Academy | Dayton | 55% |
| 3 | Horizon Science Academy | Dayton | 51% |
| 4 | Emerson Academy | Dayton | 47% |
| 5 | Russia Elementary School | Russia | 47% |
| 6 | STEAM Academy of Dayton | Dayton | 43% |
| 7 | Dayton SMART Elementary School | Dayton | 42% |
| 8 | Spring Valley Academy | Centerville | 41% |
| 9 | Miami Valley Academies | Dayton | 33% |
| 10 | Bright Beginnings | Beavercreek | 33% |
| 11 | The Miami Valley School | Dayton | 32% |
| 12 | Saville Elementary School | Riverside | 31% |
| 13 | Botkins Elementary School | Botkins | 31% |
| 14 | Fairfield Central Elementary School | Fairfield | 30% |
| 15 | Miami View Elementary School | South Charleston | 28% |
| 16 | Montessori Academy of Cincinnati | Mason | 28% |
| 17 | Virginia Stevenson Elementary | Dayton | 28% |
| 18 | Dayton Boys Preparatory Academy | Dayton | 27% |
| 19 | City Day Community School | Dayton |
26% |
2. Some schools get an A+ in immunization
215 schools statewide reported 100 percent of their incoming kindergartners met all immunization requirements last school year, including 13 local schools.
| School | City |
| Fairfield Educational Building | Fairfield |
| John XXIII | Middletown |
| Kinder Garden School, West Chester | West Chester |
| Mother Teresa Catholic | Liberty Township |
| Emmanuel Christian Academy | Springfield |
| Lagonda Elementary School | Springfield |
| DECA PREP | Dayton |
| Hillel Academy Of Dayton | Dayton |
| Horace Mann PreK-8 School | Dayton |
| Mother Maria Anna Brunner Catholic | Dayton |
| St Albert The Great | Dayton |
| Lebanon United Methodist Kdg | Lebanon |
| St Francis Desales | Lebanon |
3. More schools are falling short of immunization goals
For the 2014-15 school year there were 122 schools statewide where 30 percent or more of kindergartners started the school year without all their documented shots.
In 2015-16 that number jumped to 157 schools with 30 percent or more not complete.
4. A new bill proposes getting rid of the personal choice exemption
House Bill 564, introduced in May before the Ohio House recessed, proposes a number of changes to Ohio’s immunization laws:
- Eliminates a parent's ability to decline immunization for "reasons of conscience." Medical and religious exemptions would remain.
- Requires the department of health to develop and publish on its website a common form to be used when documenting a student's immunization history.
- Requires preschools to maintain immunization records in the same manner as school districts.
- Requires each public school to report to the state by Oct. 15 a summary of the immunization records of all students enrolled, rather than only "initial entry" students as under current law.
- Requires the department of health to publish immunization summaries by school and district on its website.
5. There are new vaccination requirements this year
Beginning this school year, a new meningococcal vaccine requirement takes effect under Ohio law.
All incoming seventh-graders must have one dose of the meningococcal vaccine, and all incoming seniors must have a second dose of the vaccine. More information on the meningococcal vaccine requirements can be found on the department of health's immunization website.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, Ohio Chapter and ODH suggest parents download the free "Fast Vax Facts" app, available in the App Store and on Google Play.
About the Author