US tells federal agencies to remove records of employees' COVID vaccination status

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."