Virginia Attorney General-Elect Will Challenge Biden Admin Vaccine Mandates

Virginia attorney general-elect Jason Miyares (R.) will challenge the Biden administration's vaccine mandates for teachers and health care workers when he takes office on Saturday.

Legal attacks on both policies are already underway in federal courts. But Miyares says complementing those efforts is in Virginia's interest and necessary to helping patients and students as the toll of the years-long pandemic mounts.

COVID fatigue helped sweep Republicans to victory in last year's elections in Virginia. Governor-elect Glenn Youngkin (R.) has indicated he'll give local public health officials a free hand at setting policy in their jurisdictions, unlike some of his Republican counterparts who have banned mask mandates and occupancy limits. Still, Youngkin will not require vaccines for state workers.

The health care worker mandate requires any employee at a facility taking Medicare or Medicaid funds to get vaccinated. Another mandate similarly requires COVID vaccination for all employees of Head Start, a federal education program that promotes nutrition and basic skills for children from low-income families.