The pace of COVID-19 vaccinations for essential chicken processing workers has picked up, with Pilgrim’s Pride expected to vaccinate one-third of its U.S. workforce by the end of the week, Simmons Foods holding another drive-through vaccination clinic, and Tyson Foods announcing it has vaccinated over 15,000 U.S. employees across all its operations.
According to a press release, JBS USA announced that approximately 14,000 U.S. employees have received a COVID-19 vaccination to date, with an additional 7,000 scheduled in the next week. These vaccinations have occurred across all of JBS USA’s business segments, including Pilgrim’s Pride. To date, Pilgrim’s Pride employees have been vaccinated in Greeley, CO; Ellijay, GA; Marshville, NC; Moorefield, WV; Mount Pleasant, TX; and Nacogdoches, TX. This coming week, Pilgrim’s Pride employees are due to be vaccinated in Broadway, VA; Marshville, NC; Natchitoches, LA; and Sanford, NC.
“We are pleased to see so many of our essential team members having the opportunity to be vaccinated and choosing to do so,” JBS USA CEO Andre Nogueira said. “While we are making good progress, there is much work left to be done. We thank state Governors and other local officials for prioritizing our workforce and strongly urge our partners in other states to make sure essential food workers are given timely access to the vaccine. They have shown up to work every day to help keep the country fed during the pandemic and deserve to be vaccinated as soon as possible.”
Simmons Foods this week announced it is offering COVID-19 vaccines to thousands of employees in Arkansas via drive-through clinics. The operation is being held in conjunction with the Simmons network of Care Clinics and on-site medical professionals, according to Simmons’ press release. The state of Arkansas opened priority vaccine distribution to food industry workers last week.
“This is an opportunity for Simmons and our team members to take responsibility for keeping each other, our families, and communities safe by getting vaccinated,” Simmons Chief Administrative Officer Russell Tooley said. “At Simmons, we’re in a unique position of having our own dedicated network of Care Clinics to provide premium health care for our team members and their families. Our staff members have been working diligently to prepare for vaccines to become available, including informing and educating team members, and to move quickly to offer them to our team members.”
On the Arkansas decision to make vaccines available to the food industry, Tooley said: “We applaud Governor [Asa] Hutchinson’s efforts to protect all Arkansans through an organized vaccine distribution program. We are grateful he has placed a priority on the people in food production who have worked throughout the pandemic to keep food on the table. We are actively pursuing vaccines for our team members in other states as well.”
Additionally, Tyson Foods this week announced it is expanding its free, onsite COVID-19 vaccinations to all employees in the state of Arkansas, where 20 percent of the company’s U.S. workforce is based, according to a press release. Tyson plans to hold 19 vaccination events in the next week to ensure its 24,000 employees in the state have convenient access to the vaccine.
The vaccine distribution is being provided in conjunction with Matrix Medical, Tyson Foods’ partner in its COVID-19 response efforts.
Over the past two weeks, approximately 15,000 Tyson Foods employees – across all of its business segments – have received a vaccine. More than 1,200 were vaccinated on March 9 and 10 at Tyson facilities in Fayetteville and Springdale, Arkansas.
“We are pleased to offer our team members convenient access to the vaccine and are committed to a long-term strategy that ensures any team member who wants a vaccine will receive one,” Tyson Foods Senior Vice President of Health and Safety Tom Brower said. “We’re focused on educating and encouraging our team members to be vaccinated and will continue to leverage both onsite events and our relationships with local health departments to make the vaccine easily accessible.”
Vaccinations are one part in a series of measures many companies have taken to protect employees from COVID-19, including temperature checks and health screenings before and during shifts; the use of face masks, shields and other personal protective equipment; enhanced surface sanitation in breakrooms, lunchrooms and other areas; physical distancing where possible and physical barriers between workers at workstations and common areas; on-demand testing; increased access to health services, preventive care, and promoting vaccine readiness and safety; enhanced sanitation and ventilation systems; paid leave and benefits for vulnerable, quarantined, and sick workers; information for workers on safe practices at work, home, and in their communities, just to name a few.
