Ashley Moody

According to the lawsuit, the mandate forces vaccinations on staff, volunteers and others in contact with Head Start preschool students and forces masks on everyone age 2 and older.

A 28-page petition asks the full 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to issue an injunction that at least would put the rule on hold while an underlying appeal is decided.

Sunday’s decision does not mean the Biden administration can move forward with the requirement because a Louisiana federal judge issued a nationwide preliminary injunction.

Florida's attorney general's office wants an appellate court to take up its challenge to the federal mandate because a nationwide injuction issued by a Louisiana judge will likely be appealed.

The federal judge issued an injunction against the federal requirement. Meanwhile, a Pensacola-based judge issued an order that clears Florida's challenge to be onsidered by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office asked a U.S. district judge to issue an emergency injunction against the vaccination requirement while the appeal is being considered.

U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers wrote that the state had not shown “irreparable harm” to justify an injunction or temporary restraining order.

Focusing on mandates pursued by the White House, Gov. Ron DeSantis touted the “strongest piece of legislation that's been enacted anywhere in the country” and said Florida is “respecting people’s individual freedoms.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida also will challenge a vaccine mandate that will apply to health care facilities, such as hospitals and nursing homes, that participate in Medicare and Medicaid.

The motion is part of a lawsuit that the state filed last week challenging vaccination requirements for federal contractors.