SC attorney general threatens suit over COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson says he intends to sue the federal government if it pushes through the Biden administration’s plan to require health care workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden announced a plan to require businesses with more than 100 employees to be vaccinated from the virus or be tested weekly as of Jan. 4, 2022. The plan also requires that health care workers at facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs be vaccinated.

After receiving pushback from several Republican-led states, including South Carolina, the vaccine mandate for large companies was temporarily halted by a federal judge Saturday.

Wilson, who has pushed back against mask mandates and vaccine requirements throughout the pandemic, vowed to sue if the requirement for nearly 17 million health care workers moves forward.

“President Biden has once again overstepped his legal authority and overreached his power,” he said in a release. “The President is not above the law. I fully support the rights of our healthcare heroes in opposition to mandatory COVID vaccines. We intend to file suit in the very near future.”

Health professionals strongly recommend getting the COVID-19 vaccine and wearing a face mask when around others to limit the spread of the virus.

This story was originally published November 9, 2021 at 10:09 AM with the headline "SC attorney general threatens suit over COVID-19 vaccine mandate for health care workers."

Andrew Caplan

The State

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Andrew Caplan is a watchdog journalist who hails from Florida. He comes to The State Media Company after winning several statewide awards for investigative work covering elected officials, as well as public and government entities. He holds a master’s degree from the University of South Florida.