What Supreme Court’s blocking of vaccine mandate for large businesses will mean for public health
1. What did the Supreme Court decide?
The court’s six conservative justices held that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration exceeded its power in issuing the mandate on private companies, which would have covered about 80 million workers.
The majority opinion distinguished between workplace safety and occupational health, determining that “although COVID-19 is a risk that occurs in many workplaces, it is not an occupational hazard in most,” as it can spread wherever people gather. The majority also expressed concern that the mandate was a “blunt instrument” and did not distinguish “based on industry or risk of exposure to COVID-19.”
The three liberal judges dissented, arguing that “COVID-19 poses special risks in most workplaces, across the country and across industries.”