US District Judge Matthew Schelp in the Eastern District of Missouri blocked the federal government from mandating Covid jabs for healthcare workers in Missouri, Nebraska, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa, Wyoming, Alaska, South Dakota, North Dakota and New Hampshire. The court order said that the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) had no clear authority from Congress to enact the vaccine mandate for providers that receive federal dollars for health care programs for the elderly and poor. CMS improperly bypassed public notice and comment requirements. Judge Schelp further stated that CMS has no evidence that vaccines impact the spread of Covid-19.

The temporary injunction will help rural hospitals near collapse due to this mandate, as well as nursing homes that are at risk of closure.

A federal judge blocked the federal government on Monday from mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for health care workers in South Dakota and nine other states.