Valdez v. Grisham

Overview

Valdez v. Grisham (U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Cir., June 14, 2022): The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a district court decision leaving in place New Mexico’s vaccine requirements for health care workers. A New Mexico nurse challenged a state public health order requiring health care workers at hospital and congregate care facilities to be vaccinated against COVID-19. The order permitted exemptions for medical and religious reasons. The nurse alleged that the public health order violated the U.S. Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause and principles of substantive due process and requested that the order be blocked. A federal district court declined to block the order, finding that the nurse had not shown irreparable harm, and that public interest weighed against blocking the vaccination requirements. The Tenth Circuit agreed and held that the lower court did not abuse its discretion in finding that the nurse was not likely to succeed on the merits of her claims. Read the full decision here.

View all cases in the Judicial Trends in Public Health – July 18, 2022.

View all cases under “Preventing and Treating Communicable Conditions.”