US Supreme Court refuses to block Maine vaccine mandate for healthcare workers

The US
Supreme Court decided against blocking a vaccine mandate for the healthcare
workers of the state of Maine on Tuesday, the latest defeat for opponents of such
mandates across the United States.

It was the
first instance of the Supreme Court weighing in on a statewide vaccine mandate.
It previously rejected challenges of vaccine requirements for New York City
teachers and Indiana University staff and students.

Justice
Stephen Breyer rejected the emergency appeal but left the door open to try
again as the clock ticks on Maine’s mandate. The state will begin enforcing it
from October 29.

The Maine
vaccine requirement that was put in place by Democratic Governor Janet Mills
requires hospital and nursing home workers to get vaccinated or risk losing
their jobs.

Opponents
tried to block the mandate, but a federal judge rejected the request on October 13.
The judge said the record indicated regular testing alone was not enough to
stop the spread of the delta variant. The decision set off a flurry of emergency
appeals to the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals and then the Supreme Court.

A three-panel
judge panel of the appeals court in Boston quickly dismissed the emergency
appeal but fast-tracked additional arguments. That timetable provides enough
time for another ruling before enforcement of the vaccine mandate begins at the
end of next week.

The Liberty
Counsel, which filed the lawsuit in federal court in Maine in August, claimed
to be representing more than 2,000 health care workers who don’t want to be
forced to be vaccinated.

Dozens of
health care workers have opted to quit, and Central Maine Medical Center in
Lewiston already curtailed some admissions because of an “acute
shortage” of nurses. But most health workers have complied.

State
agencies vowed to work with hospitals and nursing homes individually to address
issues.

(With AP inputs)