US: Justice upholds suspension of compulsory vaccination in companies

The U.S. Federal Bureau of Appeals yesterday upheld the suspension of compulsory vaccination for employees of large companies, a measure promoted by the Biden government.

The three New Orleans appellants ruled that the vaccination obligation “goes far beyond” the government’s remit.

The development follows an identical court decision last week that suspended the measure.

It provided for the mandatory vaccination against Covid-19 of tens of millions of employees in companies with more than 100 employees by January 4, who would otherwise have to undergo very frequent diagnostic tests.

An obligation which, according to the government, concerns more than two thirds of the country’s workforce and which the court criticized, describing it as “surprisingly wide”.

According to the court decision, which did not rule on the substance, this measure may not be constitutional.

“It ‘threatens’ to deal a ‘significant blow’ to the ‘freedom of hesitant citizens (…) who are called upon to choose between their job and their vaccination,'” said Judge Kurt D. Engelhart.

“From financial uncertainty to labor disputes, the spectrum of this obligation alone has helped countless citizens face financial problems in recent months,” the judge said.

Several states – Texas, Louisiana, South Carolina, Utah, Mississippi -, many businesses and religious organizations had sued.

Although a mere suspension at this stage, the decision is a serious challenge for Democratic President Joe Biden, who has just declared his first major legislative victory, with the passage of his infrastructure investment plan by Congress last week. .

“Vaccination is the best way out of this pandemic,” Joe Biden said in a statement released Thursday, adding that he would “prefer to avoid this obligation.” “Too many people remain unvaccinated so that we can end it permanently,” he said.

According to the text, the validity of which has been suspended, it is up to the employer to take measures that he deems necessary, including disciplinary, against those who do not want to be vaccinated or to undergo regular diagnostic tests. Companies that do not comply with this obligation may be fined from $ 13,000 to $ 136,000.

In the country of individual liberties, however, the American version of the health certificate is outrageous, especially to opposition Republicans.

By mid-November, approximately 68% of the US population – 81% of adults – had received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.

Source: ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ