US appeals court gives greenlight to NY’s vaccine mandate

By LARRY NEUMEISTER
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal appeals panel has upheld New York state’s vaccine mandate for health care workers. The ruling late Friday by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reversed a decision by an upstate judge who had temporarily blocked vaccination requirements on the grounds that the mandate did not accommodate religious exemptions. In a brief order, a panel of three 2nd Circuit judges also upheld a ruling by a Brooklyn judge who had found the mandate constitutional. The appeals court said a written decision would follow at a later date. In a statement, Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, commended the ruling.