Supreme Court Declines To Block Vaccine Mandate For Health Workers

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to block a vaccine mandate for health workers in the state of Maine on Tuesday, sending a potential green light to state mandates across the country.

Justice Stephen Breyer, who handles emergency requests from Maine for the court, was responsible for the denial, which he said came “without prejudice.” The challenge came from a group of Maine health workers who argued Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ vaccine mandate was illegal. With the SCOTUS denial, the mandate for employees at hospitals and nursing homes will take effect next week, according to The Hill.

Many states have become battlegrounds over enforcement of vaccine mandates in recent months, with courts in Florida, New York and elsewhere blocking various efforts to impose mandates. (RELATED: Border Patrol Agents Could Be Fired If They Don’t Get Vaccinated For COVID-19)

During a Tuesday episode of NPR’s “All Things Considered”, Patty Wight, a reporter with Maine Public Radio, said ambulance crews across the state face staffing crises, as some paramedics and EMTs are quitting over the mandate.