States lose challenge to vaccine mandate

MONROE, La. — A federal judge in Louisiana tossed a suit brought by 14 states challenging the constitutionality of the federal vaccine mandate for health care providers and suppliers on grounds it conflicts with the “anti-commandeering doctrine” by requiring their state-run hospitals to either fire their unvaccinated employees or to forgo all Medicaid and Medicare. The states’ claim that they will suffer increased enforcement costs from the vaccine mandate is “conclusory and entitled to no weight.”