States sue Biden over COVID vaccine mandate
President Joe Biden is facing major backlash following a COVID-19 vaccine mandate.
After at least two dozen states filed lawsuits against the rule, a federal appeals court has blocked it. The rule mandates all private employers with more than 100 employees to require all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by Jan. 4, 2022, or test weekly for the virus. Employers are also required to mandate masks for unvaccinated employees by Dec. 5.
With the rule on pause at the moment, the trajectory of the mandate is uncertain. Several healthcare companies have already implemented their own vaccine mandates, though a portion of healthcare professionals have noted they won’t get vaccinated. Some healthcare providers have struggled with the decision whether or not to require vaccination for staff.
The court decision that paused the rule was made by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which stated the states suing "give cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the Mandate,” NPR reported. There are multiple lawsuits across the courts that will likely be consolidated in the coming weeks.
However, even with the pause––and potential for the rule to be permanently shut down in the courts––many healthcare companies and larger companies outside the healthcare industry are likely to take up the mandate on their own.
Amy joined TriMed Media as a Senior Writer for HealthExec after covering home care for three years. When not writing about all things healthcare, she fulfills her lifelong dream of becoming a pirate by sailing in regattas and enjoying rum. Fun fact: she sailed 333 miles across Lake Michigan in the Chicago Yacht Club "Race to Mackinac."