Health Worker Vaccine Mandate Survives Court Challenge in Maine

Maine can enforce its Covid-19 vaccine mandate for health-care workers—which takes effect Oct. 29—without offering an exemption to those who claim the vaccine violates their religious beliefs, a federal judge in the state ruled Wednesday.

Judge Jon D. Levy denied an injunction bid by a group of anonymous health workers, saying they were unlikely to prevail with their claim that top health officials engaged in unconstitutional favoritism by including a medical, but not a religious, exemption.

“Exempting individuals whose health will be threatened if they receive a Covid-19 vaccine is an essential, constituent part of a reasoned public health response ...