Ten Republican-led states sued the Biden administration on Wednesday to try to block a coronavirus vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.
The Associated Press reports:
The lawsuit filed in a federal court in Missouri contends that the vaccine requirement threatens the jobs of millions of health care workers and could “exacerbate an alarming shortage” in health care fields, particularly in rural areas where some health workers have been hesitant to get the shots. […] The new lawsuit contends that the CMS vaccine requirement is unprecedented and unreasonably broad, affecting even volunteers and staff who don’t typically work with patients.
The lawsuit argues that some health workers could lose their jobs instead of opting to receive the vaccine, which “jeopardizes the healthcare interests of rural Americans.”
“The mandate is a blatant attempt to federalize public health issues involving vaccination that belong within the States’ police power,” the suit reads.
Attorneys general from the following states joined the suit: Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.