Chaini Parwani –
Published On: October 31, 2021 at 18:00 IST
The US Supreme Court on Friday rejected Healthcare Workers’ Plea seeking a Religious Exemption to Maine’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate in the current feud over-vaccination to reach the Justices.
A Bench comprising of Justice Neil Gorsuch, Justice Clarence Thomas, and Justice Samuel Alito adjudicated the Court with a 6-3 conservative majority.
The Court rejected a request made by 9 unnamed Plaintiffs who identified themselves as Healthcare Workers alleging to receive the shots on religious grounds.
The Court had previously rejected claims related to vaccine mandates in New York and Indiana.
Conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch authored, “In Maine, healthcare workers who have served on the front line of a pandemic for the last 18 months are now being fired and their practices shuttered.”
Maine Governor Janet Mills’ Council had acquired that all healthcare workers in the State be fully vaccinated by the beginning of October, but the State denied enforcing it until Friday.
Further, the Governor stated that workers perform a crucial role in protecting the health of Maine’s residents and that every safeguard defense should be provided against the spread of the coronavirus.
Furthermore, the Governor highlighted that Maine discarded Religious Exemptions from mandated vaccines in 2019, before the pandemic, in the light of falling Vaccination Rates.
It was also stated that the State has required hospitals and other healthcare facilities to protect workers who had been vaccinated against various diseases since 1989.
The challengers alleged that the lack of a Religious Exemption infringed their Right to free exercise of religion under the US Constitution’s First Amendment.
Also Read: US tells Supreme Court: Limited Testimony can be given by Abu Zubaydah
Indiana Students approach US SC to block College Vaccine Mandate