A new bill at the statehouse would make it illegal for companies, especially those in the health care industry, to require their employees to get annual flu shots. Ohio Public Radio's Jo Ingles reports.
Republican Representative Christina Hagan says she hears from Ohioans who have been in their fields for decades, especially those in medical careers, who continue to lose their jobs or be penalized because they refuse to get a flu vaccine. She says there’s no good reason for any employer to require employees to get the shot.
“I think it’s wise to rely on data and there is no data that drives the opposition’s assumption.”
Hagan says people often get flu despite getting the vaccine. And she says the flu shot can cause illness or even death for some people. The Ohio Department of Health doesn’t track flu deaths for adults 18 years of age or older but says a handful of children died from it last year.
