A COVID-19 vaccine requirement for health care workers is expected to be dropped soon in Maine, with a state agency saying the mandate met its goal of limiting the spread of the coronavirus at the pandemic's height but is no longer needed based on evolving scientific evidence.

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services made the announcement Tuesday, and expects the rule to be published next week. It hopes to adopt the rule following public comment by year's end.

"Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Maine has followed the science in developing policies to limit the spread of the virus," DHHS Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said Tuesday. "Today, a robust body of evolving evidence tells us that this requirement achieved its goals of saving lives and protecting health at a crucial time."

Maine, which has the nation's oldest population, is one of a handful of states that still have a vaccine mandate for health workers. The Maine DHHS still recommends that health care professionals, and members of the public, should get vaccinated to provide the highest level of protection from the coronavirus.

Republicans in the Maine Legislature urged the DHHS to work even faster to remove the mandate in hopes that "some of our health care and EMS heroes who left the profession" can return to work.

A separate action would be required to eliminate the mandate for emergency medical technicians. Maine's Board of Emergency Medical Services will consider adoption of the DHHS rule next month.

The Biden administration ended most of the last remaining federal COVID-19 vaccine requirements in May after the public health emergency for the coronavirus ended.

In Maine, seven health care workers sued in federal court over the vaccine requirement. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying the requirement was "rationally based" and that "no further analysis is required." But an appeals court in May ordered the judge to reconsider part of his legal analysis.