Biden administration officially withdraws vaccine rule

By DEE-ANN DURBIN
AP Business Writer

The Biden administration has officially withdrawn a rule that would have required workers at big companies to get vaccinated or face regular COVID testing requirements. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration confirmed the withdrawal Tuesday. But the agency says it still strongly encourages vaccination of workers. OSHA announced a vaccine-or-test mandate in early November for companies with at least 100 employees. The rule would have impacted more than 80 million U.S. workers. But the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the rule on Jan. 13, saying OSHA had overstepped its authority. The court left in place a vaccine rule for health care workers.