as a way to help prevent the spread of the latest Covid variant, it allowed exceptions based on medical reasons or religious objections. But the religious exemption was later removed.
Sixteen health care workers sued, saying they had religious objections because fetal cell lines were involved in the testing, development, or production of Covid vaccines. They said the mandate violated their religious freedom because it allowed others who were unvaccinated to continue working. “The presence of a single, limited medical exemption to a vaccine requirement does not require the State to provide a blanket religious exemption from vaccination,” they said in their written submissions.