Ohio's school immunization requirements remain unchanged after President Donald Trump signed an executive order Aug. 10, overhauling federal childhood vaccine recommendations, and local health officials say families heading into the first week of school have no reason to panic.
Loveland City Schools opens Aug. 13 for students with last names A–L and Aug. 14, for M–Z. Milford Exempted Village Schools starts Aug. 17. Both districts require the same state-mandated immunizations they did last year.
"As of now, this is an executive order. So as of now, nothing is changing," Cincinnati pediatrician Dr. Kristen Dinkelacker of West Side Pediatrics told WLWT on Monday. "Your school-required vaccines are not changing. What your pediatrician is recommending is not changing."
What the order does
The executive order reduces the federal government's "gold standard" childhood vaccine recommendations from 18 to 11 core vaccinations. It calls for the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to be separated into individual shots and for immunizations to be given at separate medical visits rather than combined appointments.
Dinkelacker said individual measles, mumps and rubella vaccines are not currently manufactured separately in the United States, making that portion impossible to implement right now. She also warned that requiring extra appointments raises costs and increases the chance families miss doses.
The order also directs the Department of Justice to investigate states for potential violations of vaccine-mandate exemptions. A federal judge temporarily blocked earlier HHS vaccine schedule changes in March 2026, and legal experts say this order faces similar challenges.
Why pediatricians are pushing back
The American Academy of Pediatrics called the order disheartening and dangerous in a statement Monday, noting U.S. measles cases have hit a 35-year high in 2026 with 2,371 confirmed cases as of July 31. The AAP said dozens of studies involving millions of people show no link between vaccines and autism, contradicting claims Trump has made linking the two.
Ohio is not immune. The state has reported its third measles outbreak of 2026 in Ashtabula, Tuscarawas and Geauga counties. Ohio's kindergarten complete vaccination rate was 85.4% in 2025–26, below the roughly 95% threshold needed for community immunity.
Dinkelacker said federal rhetoric is already reaching local exam rooms. She described seeing more vaccine refusal and more parents requesting alternative schedules over the past year.
What Loveland and Milford families need to do
Ohio law requires students to show proof of vaccination against 10 diseases: diphtheria, hepatitis B, measles, meningococcal disease, mumps, pertussis, polio, rubella, tetanus and varicella. Kindergarteners specifically need DTaP (4–5 doses), polio (3–4 doses), MMR (2 doses), hepatitis B (3 doses) and varicella (2 doses).
Hamilton County Public Health is urging families to confirm their children are up to date now. Parents can check records through the state's ImpactSIIS registry by contacting their child's healthcare provider or local health department.
Children who do not have immunization records on file within 14 days of the school year starting may not be allowed to remain in school under Ohio law. For Loveland families with last names A–L, that 14-day clock starts Thursday.
