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Job Seekers May Need to Show Proof of Vaccination to Apply for Positions
New York City called for a “Key to NYC Pass,” which is like the COVID-19 passport talked about a few months ago. It’s a carrot-and-stick approach, as people will be required to show that they are vaccinated. If not, they would be denied entrance to an array of establishments. This week, San Francisco required both customers and employees to show proof of full vaccination to enter bars, gyms, restaurants, sporting events and concerts. Now, it looks like companies are requiring job seekers to show proof of vaccination when applying for a new position.
Appeals Court Upholds Indiana University’s Vaccine Mandate
The Associated Press reported:
A federal appeals court ruled Monday that Indiana University can proceed with its plan to require students and employees to get vaccinated for COVID-19, in what is the highest court decision regarding college immunization mandates.
The Chicago-based appeals court upheld an Indiana district court judge’s ruling that found that the university was acting reasonably “in pursuing public health and safety for its campus communities.”
Both courts rejected a request by eight IU students who sought to block the requirement while they challenge its legality, claiming that it would violate their constitutional rights by forcing them to receive unwanted medical treatment.
Lawsuit Involving 1,200 First Responders Targets State’s Vaccination Policy for Government Workers
On behalf of 1,200 first responders statewide, a group of attorneys announced Thursday it is filing a lawsuit against the state over its vaccination policy for government workers.
The group argued the mandate violates workers’ constitutional rights and employers should not be able to decide how to grant exemptions for religion because it is a personal belief.
The lawyers also criticized Gov. David Ige and all four county mayors for not creating a uniform statewide plan — and claimed the governor did not give unions the opportunity to negotiate before the policy was announced.
“The knee-jerk reaction of our governor and our mayors has caused incredible concern with our unions,” attorney Michael Green said.
Cardona Calls for Mandating COVID-19 Vaccines for Educators
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Wednesday said he supports mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for teachers and other school staff, as districts across the country prepare to begin another school year shaped by the pandemic.
“I would favor the vaccine being required,” Cardona said during a virtual National Press Foundation event, adding that he believes some reluctant adults will change their minds once the FDA fully approves the shots.
Cardona stressed that he believes the COVID-19 vaccine is safe.
Childhood Cancer Patients Receive 10 iPads with EMF Protection from DefenderShield and Apple-A-Day Foundation
The Apple-A-Day childhood cancer patient charity is a local, Tampa-based not-for-profit foundation whose mission is to bring joy into the lives of pediatric cancer patients by gifting them brand new iPads and smartphones. They rely on donations from people in the Tampa community, which have slowed significantly during the COVID pandemic.
When DefenderShield — a local digital wellness company — heard of the need for donations, they realized they could donate not just iPads, but iPad cases with DefenderShield’s own Electromagnetic Frequency (EMF) radiation shielding.
Does Mask Wearing Harm Your Child’s Development? Experts Weigh In
For young children, the pandemic comes at a crucial time for developing skills important for empathy, safety and more — a phase that some parents worry will be impaired by mask-wearing.
“There are sensitive periods in early childhood development in which language development and emotional development are really rapidly developing for the first few years of life,” said Ashley Ruba, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Child Emotion Lab.
Being able to use others’ verbal or facial cues to figure out how someone is feeling or pick up on safe or dangerous aspects of environments and people is a critical task for young kids, Ruba added.
Concerns that wearing masks might interfere with these natural learning experiences and communication skills have been studied before the pandemic.
My University Ignores COVID Natural Immunity and Wants To Blame People Like Me for Outbreaks
My school, the University of Florida, keeps pushing students, faculty and staff to get vaccinated and has even shamed people who may choose not to get vaccinated.
But it continues to ignore the natural immunity that people like me almost definitely have after recovering from coronavirus.
According to the university, unvaccinated students who contract coronavirus or are even exposed to someone with COVID will not be cleared to return to campus and they will not be excused from their absences. “Such students may have to leave campus, return home, and make up class work,” the university said.
Facebook Bans Ad Agency Behind Outlandish Campaign Deriding Pfizer, AstraZeneca Vaccines
Pfizer and AstraZeneca notched a vaccine disinformation win against a “crude and spammy” social media smear campaign originating from Russia this week.
Facebook removed hundreds of accounts and banned a “disinformation laundromat” — its words for a UK marketing agency linked to bizarre claims on Facebook and Instagram. The two-pronged smear campaign, outlined in a detailed Facebook report, first waged war on AstraZeneca’s vaccine in late 2020 then launched a second attack on Pfizer’s vaccine in May.
San Francisco to Require Vaccine Proof at Indoor Venues
Worried that the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus could derail San Francisco’s economic rebound, Mayor London Breed announced Thursday that the city will require proof of full vaccination at indoor restaurants, bars, gyms and entertainment venues to help keep businesses open.
“This is to protect kids, is to protect those who can’t get vaccinated, is to make sure that we don’t go backwards, is to make sure that I never have to get up in front of you and say, ‘I’m sorry, I know we just reopened and now the city is closed again because we are seeing too many people die,’ ” Breed said.
