Religious Suits Over Covid Shots Reveal Edge for Private Sector

Companies have broad power to overcome religious objections to Covid-19 vaccine mandates while an early ruling shows potential limitations to government authority to require the shot.

A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order last week blocking the New York State Department of Health from interfering with employers granting religious exemptions to its vaccine mandate. A group of health-care workers brought a constitutional challenge against the state’s mandate, which calls on hospital and nursing home employees to get a first vaccine dose by Sept. 27.

Even though federal anti-bias law requires companies to accommodate workers’ religious objections to vaccine mandates, ...