On Thursday, a federal appeals court in New Orleans upheld a judge’s decision to prevent the implementation of President Joe Biden’s 2021 executive order mandating that all federal employees receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Despite objections from the Biden administration, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit confirmed the judge had the authority to impose a nationwide injunction against the vaccine mandate.
A three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit overturned this decision in April of last year.
In September 2021, President Biden issued an executive order requiring approximately 3.5 million federal employees and contractors to receive a COVID-19 vaccine or face disciplinary action, including termination. Some exceptions were granted for medical or religious reasons.
