The US Supreme Court took different actions on two COVID vaccination cases recently. In one (on Monday 18 April), it ruled that the Pentagon can proceed with action against personnel who refuse a vaccine. And in the other, it declined to make any ruling on a lower court decision allowing an employer’s vaccination policy to remain in effect.
Kaiser Health News reports that the first case involved a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve who refused to be vaccinated against the coronavirus on religious grounds. The court’s brief, unsigned order gave no reasons, which is common when the judges act on emergency applications. The court’s three most conservative members noted dissents but did not explain their thinking, according to The New York Times.
And an AP report said that the Supreme Court declined to wade into a lawsuit filed by four New York City public school teachers over a policy that they be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Apparently, Lower courts had previously allowed the policy to go into effect while litigation continued, and Justice Sonia Sotomayor had also rejected an emergency request that the policy be put on hold. Last week (Monday 18 April) the judges said they wouldn’t get involved in the dispute.
New York City began requiring public school employees to be vaccinated in the fall of 2021. Courts had declined to bar the city from enforcing their policy, which applies to some 150,000 employees and has religious and medical exemptions. Three of the teachers involved in the case have been fired and a fourth has taken extended leave.
Kaiser Health News article – High Court weighs in on Covid vaccination policies (Open access)
AP news article – High Court won’t hear New York teacher vaccine dispute (Open access)
The New York Times article – Supreme Court rules on vaccine airman case (Restricted access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
US Supreme Court again rejects religious challenge to vaccine mandate
COVID-19 has spurred a litigatory pandemic in US
US workers unleash a wave of COVID-19 negligence lawsuits
Employees turn to constitutional protections to avoid mandatory vaccinations
Court rules Biden vaccine mandate ‘fatally flawed’ and ‘staggeringly over-broad’