There have been significant developments in the legal challenges brought against the interim final rule of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which requires vaccination of all healthcare workers at CMS-covered facilities throughout the U.S.
On November 29 and 30, 2021, two separate federal district courts issued injunctions blocking enforcement of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services interim final rule requiring healthcare worker vaccinations.
On November 15, 2021, Puerto Rico Governor Pedro Pierluisi issued Executive Order No. 2021-075, which integrates prior COVID-19-related orders still in effect and, notably, includes vaccine/testing requirements for employers with over 50 employees.
The 2nd Circuit has upheld NY’s vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, rejecting arguments advanced by healthcare professionals that the mandate’s failure to provide for religious exemptions violated their religious freedoms and should be enjoined.
On November 8, 2021, Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1169, which amends the Illinois Health Care Right of Conscience Act to clarify that the Act was not intended to apply to COVID-19 requirements.
On November 4, 2021, the Biden administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued an interim final rule requiring healthcare worker vaccinations.
On October 18, 2021, an Oregon federal district court denied a request for a temporary restraining order to prevent the Oregon Health Authority’s recent Vaccine Orders from taking effect.
