Biden vaccine rule for health workers temporarily blocked in 10 states

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a coronavirus vaccine mandate on health care workers in 10 states.

The preliminary injunction issued Monday applies to a coalition of suing states. They are Alaska, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming.

A federal judge in Missouri said the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid had no clear authority from Congress to enact the vaccine mandate for health care providers that participate in the two government programs.

The rule requires workers to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Dec. 6 and their second dose by Jan. 4.