US tells federal agencies to remove records of employees' COVID vaccination status
(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management issued new guidance on Friday directing all federal agencies to eliminate any record of an employee's COVID-19 vaccination status, prior noncompliance with vaccine mandates, or requests for exemptions from such mandates."Things got out of hand during the pandemic, and federal workers were fired, punished, or sidelined for simply making a personal medical decision," OPM Director Scott Kupor said in a statement. "That should never have happened."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
35 minutes ago
- Time of India
GMC celebrates 70th foundation day, begins platinum jubilation
Bhopal: Gandhi Medical College marked its 70th foundation day, celebrating seven decades of excellence in medicine and dedication to public service on Wednesday. Founded in 1955, the institution has played a pivotal role during crises such as the gas tragedy, pandemics, and the COVID-19 outbreak. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The festivities commenced with a tribute to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, followed by a cake-cutting ceremony and a group discussion session. This event was collaboratively organized by the medical teachers association, junior doctors association, and alumni association. The college dean, along with a substantial assembly of senior doctors, junior doctors, and staff, attended the celebration. The event concluded with the chants of "Gandhi Medical College Zindabad" and a commitment to preserve the institution's legacy throughout the Platinum Jubilee Year (2025–26). Preparations are also underway for the grand 'Mahakumbh' event set for Dec 20–21, which is anticipated to welcome over 2,000 doctors from both India and abroad, GMC officials said. President of medical teachers association, Dr Rakesh Malviya, provided insights regarding the event and future plans.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Booze too is injurious to health! Record number of Americans are rejecting alcohol drinking. New trend rising in USA?
Fewer Americans are reporting that they drink alcohol amid a growing belief that even moderate alcohol consumption is a health risk, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday. A record high percentage of U.S. adults, 53 per cent, now say moderate drinking is bad for their health, up from 28 per cent in 2015. The uptick in doubt about alcohol's benefits is largely driven by young adults — the age group that is most likely to believe drinking 'one or two drinks a day' can cause health hazards — but older adults are also now increasingly likely to think moderate drinking carries risks, as per a report. As concerns about health impacts rise, fewer Americans are reporting that they drink. The survey finds that 54 per cent of U.S. adults say they drink alcoholic beverages such as liquor, wine or beer. That's lower than at any other point in the past three decades. The findings of the poll, which was conducted in July, indicate that after years of many believing that moderate drinking was harmless — or even beneficial — worries about alcohol consumption are taking hold. According to Gallup's data, even those who consume alcohol are drinking less, AP reported. Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 4 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 3 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals By Vaibhav Sisinity View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass - Batch 2 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program Finance Value and Valuation Masterclass Batch-1 By CA Himanshu Jain View Program The federal government is updating new dietary guidelines, including those around alcohol. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, government data showed U.S. alcohol consumption was trending up. But other government surveys have shown a decline in certain types of drinking, particularly among teenagers and young adults. This comes alongside a new drumbeat of information about alcohol's risks. While moderate drinking was once thought to have benefits for heart health, health professionals in recent years have pointed to overwhelming evidence that alcohol consumption leads to negative health outcomes and is a leading cause of cancer. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Skepticism about Alcohol's Benefits Younger adults have been quicker than older Americans to accept that drinking is harmful, but older adults are coming around to the same view. About two-thirds of 18- to 34-year-olds believe moderate drinking is unhealthy, according to the poll, up from about 4 in 10 in 2015. Older adults are less likely to see alcohol as harmful — about half of Americans age 55 or older believe this — but that's a substantial increase, too. In 2015, only about 2 in 10 adults age 55 or older thought alcohol was bad for their health. Live Events In the past, moderate drinking was thought to have some benefits. That idea came from imperfect studies that largely didn't include younger people and couldn't prove cause and effect. Now the scientific consensus has shifted, and several countries recently lowered their alcohol consumption recommendations. Earlier this year, the outgoing U.S. surgeon general, Vivek Murthy, recommended a label on bottles of beer, wine and liquor that would clearly outline the link between alcohol consumption and cancer. The federal government's current dietary guidelines recommend Americans not drink or, if they do consume alcohol, men should limit themselves to two drinks a day or fewer while women should stick to one or fewer. Gallup's director of U.S. social research, Lydia Saad, said shifting health advice throughout older Americans' lives may be a reason they have been more gradual than young adults to recognize alcohol as harmful. The government is expected to release new guidelines later this year, under the directive of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has promised big changes. Kennedy has not hinted at how the alcohol recommendations may shift. Drinking Rates Fall to Decade Low Slightly more than half of Americans, 54 per cent, report that they drink alcohol — a low in Gallup's data that is especially pronounced among women and young adults. Young Americans' alcohol consumption has been trending downward for years, accelerating the overall decline in alcohol consumption. In sharp contrast with Gallup's findings two decades ago, when young adults were likeliest to report drinking, young adults' drinking rate is now slightly below middle-aged and older adults. Americans' reported drinking is among the lowest since the question was first asked in 1939. For most of the last few decades, at least 6 in 10 Americans have reported drinking alcoholic beverages, only dipping below that point a few times in the question's history. Americans are Consuming Less Even if concerns about health risks aren't causing some adults to give up alcohol entirely, these worries could be influencing how often they drink. The survey found that adults who think moderate drinking is bad for one's health are just as likely as people who don't share those concerns to report that they drink, but fewer of the people with health worries had consumed alcohol recently. About half of those who worry moderate drinking is unhealthy said they had a drink in the previous week, compared with about 7 in 10 who did not think drinking was bad for their health. Overall, only about one-quarter of Americans who drink said they had consumed alcohol in the prior 24 hours, a record low in the survey. Roughly 4 in 10 said that it had been more than a week since they had poured a drink. FAQs Q1. How much alcohol is considered safe to drink? A1. Moderate alcohol consumption is generally considered safe for most adults. According to health guidelines (like those from the CDC or WHO). Q2. What are the long-term effects of regular alcohol use? A2. Long-term or heavy alcohol use can lead to serious health issues, including: Liver damage (e.g., fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis), Increased risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure, Increased risk of several cancers (e.g., mouth, liver, breast), Mental health problems like depression and anxiety, Dependence or alcohol use disorder (AUD).
The Hindu
10 hours ago
- The Hindu
T.N. government doctors seek pay parity, job for deceased doctor's widow
The Legal Coordination Committee for Government Doctors (LCC) has appealed to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin to announce, on Independence Day, the implementation of Government Order (GO) 354 issued during the tenure of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and to provide a government appointment to Divya, widow of Vivekanandan, a government doctor who died while serving during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement, S. Perumal Pillai, LCC president, said Tamil Nadu has been a model in the health sector, reducing Infant Mortality Rate and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), with the latter falling from 45 last year to 39 this year. The State has also received the national award for organ transplantation for the eighth consecutive year. However, government doctors continue to receive among the lowest salaries in the country. Recalling that Mr. Stalin, as Leader of the Opposition in 2019, had expressed solidarity with protesting doctors and assured that their demands would be met when the DMK came to power, Dr. Perumal Pillai said the assurances remain unfulfilled even after four years. Around 19,000 government doctors are awaiting resolution of the pay issue, he added. He noted that despite several demonstrations, including a march from Salem Mettur to Chennai, to draw attention to their demands, the government has not acted. Tamil Nadu, he said, is the only State where government doctors have had to resort to such measures for service-related issues and even then, participants were detained. The LCC pointed out that government doctors had been a key support to the State during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and expressed concern that Dr. Vivekanandan's family has not received the requested appointment despite repeated appeals. The committee urged that to strengthen the health sector, adequate posts for doctors and nurses be sanctioned and GO 354 be implemented. As Karunanidhi had secured the right for Chief Ministers to hoist the national flag on Independence Day, the LCC requested that the announcement be made on August 15 as a tribute to him, alongside the appointment for Ms. Divya.
