A worker holds up a sign to signal their station needs more vaccine doses as people receive their coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccination at Lumen Field Event Center in Seattle, Washington, U.S. March 13, 2021. REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson

(Reuters) - The Biden administration on Tuesday will urge a federal appeals court to allow its mandate requiring federal employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 to take effect.

The full 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, based in New Orleans, is considering whether to reverse a 2-1 April ruling by a three-judge panel allowing enforcement of the mandate. The full court put the mandate back on hold until it hears the case.

The U.S. Department of Justice and an attorney for the employees challenging the mandate did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

President Joe Biden last September said he would require about 3.5 million government workers to get vaccinated by Nov. 22, 2021 if they did not qualify for a religious or medical exemption, or face discipline or firing.

A group of federal employees called Feds for Medical Freedom promptly sued, arguing that no federal law gave Biden authority to issue the mandate and that it was arbitrary and capricious.

A Texas federal judge agreed and blocked the mandate in January, but the 5th Circuit panel that revived it said the employees had to go through an administrative procedure to challenge the mandate before suing in court under the federal Civil Service Reform Act (CSRA).

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