From long lines to $1 million prizes, Ohio saw it all in the push to vaccinate against COVID-19
Titus WuThe rapid development of highly effective COVID-19 vaccines was a life-saving achievement that offered a path back to normalcy for millions of people across Ohio and the country.
Early demand for the shots was strong, leading to long lines at mass vaccination sites. Within months, though, high demand was replaced by hesitancy or even refusal, a barrier that many states faced.
Ohio stood out from other states and attracted national attention for how it handled that challenge. When Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced $1 million incentives for inoculation, other states soon followed despite mixed opinions on whether they worked.
The Buckeye State also caught eyes for efforts to push back against the vaccine. From viral testimony that vaccines magnetize people to large demonstrations, the idea of "medical freedom" gained significant traction over the past year among the general public and state politicians.
Amid all this, more than 26,000 Ohioans have died from COVID-19, and more deaths will happen as virus variants hit the unvaccinated particularly hard. As of late November, just 52.5% of Ohioans are fully vaccinated, the 17th worst rate for a state, according to John Hopkins University.
The vaccine debate is far from over and likely to continue to next year. But here's a look back at the events this year so far and USA Today Network Ohio's coverage of them.
******
December 11, 2020 – The FDA gives the first emergency use authorization for a COVID-19 vaccine, the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.
December 14, 2020 – Ohio administers the first COVID-19 vaccine doses.
March 31, 2021 – The discussions around COVID-19 vaccines emerge in the state legislature, when state Rep. Al Cutrona, R-Canfield, says he plans on introducing legislation limiting vaccine passports. No such passports had existed at the time.
April 6, 2021 – State Rep. Jennifer Gross introduces House Bill 248, named the Vaccine Choice and Anti-Discrimination Act. The sweeping bill includes a wish list of changes sought by those who want to weaken Ohio's vaccination laws and block COVID-19 vaccine mandates by employers or the government.
May 12, 2021 – To increase vaccination rates, Gov. Mike DeWine announces Vax-a-Million – a chance to win five awards of $1 million each and five full-ride college scholarships for getting vaccinated. The initiative, which some saw as gimmicky, draws national attention.
June 8, 2021 – Public hearings on House Bill 248 have already begun, attracting testimony from both sides on the matter. But the testimony of Dr. Sherri Tenpenny about how vaccines cause magnetism (which is not true) attracts national attention.
June 22, 2021 – Business and medical groups, including the influential Ohio Chamber of Commerce, come out against HB 248. They oppose any other vaccine legislation as well that tells businesses what they can or cannot do.
July 28, 2021 – The DeWine administration offers a $100 incentive for state employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and another $25 if their spouses get the shots.
Aug. 3, 2021 – The Ohio Hospital Association recommends its members to require the shot for employees. Soon after, many major hospitals begin requiring the vaccine.
Aug. 23, 2021 – The FDA gives the first full approval for a COVID-19 vaccine, the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine. This renders an Ohio law prohibiting public schools and universities from requiring vaccines under emergency use authorization moot.
Aug. 24, 2021 – Ohio State University becomes the first public university in Ohio to mandate the vaccine for students, faculty and staff. Other universities soon follow suit.
Aug. 24, 2021 – Amid an uptick in vaccination requirements, House Bill 248 gets an unusual hearing before lawmakers. The hearing draws hundreds of demonstrators, but since then, Ohio House GOP leaders put the brakes on the legislation.
Sept. 9, 2021 – U.S. President Joe Biden announces that he wants a vaccination-or-get-tested requirement for workers in companies employing 100 or more people, prompting alarm in anti-vaccine mandate circles. It follows another proposed vaccine mandate for health care workers with no testing alternative.
Mid-September 2021 – Spurred by Biden’s vaccine requirement, a string of other vaccine-related bills offering alternative approaches to HB 248 also get introduced.
Sept. 14, 2021 – Cincinnati Public Schools becomes the first major school district in Ohio to mandate the vaccine for employees.
Sept. 23, 2021 – In an effort to boost youth vaccination rates, DeWine announces another vaccine incentive program, Vax-2-School, offering scholarships.
Sept. 28, 2021 – Legislative leaders in the Republican-controlled Ohio House unveil a new anti-vaccination mandate bill, House Bill 435, which is pitched as a compromise. It focuses on granting and expanding exemptions to COVID-19 vaccine mandates. But within two weeks, it's clear Republicans can't agree on a vaccine mandate bill and House Speaker Bob Cupp tables any vaccine-related efforts.
Nov. 2, 2021 – The first COVID-19 vaccine is approved by the federal government for children ages 5 to 11.
Nov. 4, 2021 – After Biden lays out Jan. 4 as the day his vaccine mandates will come into effect, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost sues him to stop his mandates, joining multiple lawsuits.
Nov. 16, 2021 – Cincinnati is selected as the court site where all legal challenges across the nation to Biden's vaccine mandate for private employers will be consolidated.
Nov. 17, 2021 – Despite Cupp's attempts to table vaccine-related discussions, a faction of Ohio GOP lawmakers threaten to withhold their votes on a map for redistricting if there is no bill limiting vaccine mandates. Within a few days, the House passes HB 218 (which expands vaccine exemptions and bans vaccine passports) and sends the vaccine debate to the Ohio Senate.
Titus Wu is a reporter for the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau, which serves the Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.