COVID-19 vaccine mandate suspended by US appeals court

Following an appeal against the vaccine mandate, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has suspended the mandate. 

This news comes after the US government announced the removal of travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers from a number of countries, including Canada, Mexico, and the European Union. These restrictions had been in place since the start of the pandemic. 

Airlines and other businesses reliant on the travel industry have welcomed this news, as it could make travel to and from the country much more likely for many destinations. 

The Biden administration planned to introduce mandatory vaccination for private companies with 100 or more employees. 

However, the judges stated that there was “cause to believe there are grave statutory and constitutional issues with the mandate.”

This means that mandates won’t be enforced at the moment. But, the order could be reinstated at a later time once the court has time to look at the issue in greater depth. 

In a statement, the Labor Department expressed confidence that the mandate would eventually be upheld due to the Occupational Safety and Health Act. 

When will children be vaccinated?

As the vaccination campaign continues in the US, the next question is when children will be vaccinated. 

The rollout has already been extended to 12-15-year-olds, and health agencies have now approved the Pfizer vaccine for kids aged 5-11.

The administration has now launched its nationwide effort to start vaccinating children under 12 against COVID-19, and letters have been sent out to schools across the US encouraging them to share the relevant information with children and their families. 

The letter said, “Today, we reach out to you with encouragement for you to actively support the vaccination process for children in your state, territories, county, tribes, communities, and schools. 

This is a very exciting development and a significant opportunity to protect some of our youngest learners and our communities.”