NBC News: “The Supreme Court declined Friday to block Maine’s requirement for health care workers to receive a Covid-19 vaccination, even though it doesn’t contain a religious exemption. The vote was 6-3, with Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch dissenting. Two of the court’s other conservatives, Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh, said they agreed the court should not take the case, because it came on an emergency appeal without benefit of a full briefing.
“The Maine order applies to health care workers in hospitals, nursing homes and doctor’s offices takes effect Friday. State officials say most of those covered by the order have complied. Maine allowed religious exemptions in the past for health care workers, daycare employees, school children and college students. But the state eliminated all non-medical vaccination exemptions in 2019. It said falling inoculation rates were causing communicable diseases to spread more rapidly.
“A group of health care workers sued when the Covid vaccine was required, saying they objected because the vaccine was developed with the aid of ‘fetal cell lines that originated in elective abortions.’ The rule forced them to decide ‘what is more important to them — their deeply held religious beliefs or their ability to work anywhere in their state so that they can feed their families.'”