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In June, a federal judge in Texas ruled in favor of a Houston Methodist Hospital, which was sued by 117 employees over the hospital's vaccine mandate.

\"Methodist is trying to do their business of saving lives without giving them the COVID-19 virus. It is a choice made to keep staff, patients, and their families safer,\" U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes wrote in the opinion.

The leading plaintiff, the judge wrote, \"can freely choose to accept or refuse a COVID-19 vaccine; however, if she refuses, she will simply need to work somewhere else.\"

One professional association representing federal employees, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, expressed concern about the expected vaccine requirement Wednesday.

\"Forcing people to undertake a medical procedure is not the American way and is a clear civil rights violation no matter how proponents may seek to justify it,\" association President Larry Cosme said in a statement. \"We would therefore encourage the administration to work collaboratively with FLEOA and other federal employee groups to incentivize all federal employees to be vaccinated, rather than penalize those who do not.\"

\"PHOTO:
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
PHOTO: Nurse Carlene Fleming prepares to administer a dose of COVID-19 vaccine to a patient at a mobile vaccination event at in Orlando, Fla., July 24, 2021.
>

The expected vaccine requirement comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released revised mask guidance on Tuesday, calling for fully vaccinated individuals in \"high\" or \"substantial\" transmission level areas to resume wearing them.

Departing the White House for a trip to Pennsylvania Wednesday, Biden was seen unmasked exiting the Oval Office, despite Washington being considered a \"substantial\" transmission area. Biden's destination, Macungie Township in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley, is considered a \"moderate\" transmission area, so the president did not don a mask there.

But shortly after the CDC's announcement Tuesday, White House reporters were instructed to resume wearing masks while indoors by the White House Correspondents Association and Vice President Harris was seen wearing a mask during an indoor meeting.

Harris was blunt about the development.

\"No one likes wearing a mask,\" she said Tuesday. \"Get vaccinated. That's it.\"

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