Falcons say 100% of gamers are vaccinated against COVID-19

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As the preseason is in full swing, the Atlanta Falcons have accomplished something that no other NFL team would have done.

Everyone is vaccinated.

The Falcons announced Monday that 100% of their workforce is vaccinated against COVID-19, confirming an earlier report by Zach Klein of WSB Atlanta. According to the Falcons, they are the first and only team in the NFL to reach the 100% vaccination threshold. No other team made this claim.

Monday’s news marks a slight uptick from July 23, when the Falcons reported a 92% vaccination rate among players. In addition to the health benefits of the COVID-19 vaccination, the Falcons and other teams with high vaccination rates are gaining a competitive advantage.

ATLANTA, GA - AUG 13: A Falcons helmet on the sidelines during the Friday night NFL preseason game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tennessee Titans on August 13, 2021 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The NFL’s COVID-19 vaccine incentives and disincentives appear to be working in Atlanta and around the league. (David J. Griffin / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

NFL COVID-19 Vaccine Incentives

Teams that achieve an 85% vaccination rate face reduced COVID-19 security mandates for testing, masking, social distancing, and access to team facilities. While players do not face the same vaccination mandate as coaches and team members, the league has put in place significant disincentives for players who are not vaccinated.

Instead of postponing and rescheduling games like last season, the NFL plans to cancel games when COVID-19 outbreaks occur in 2021. The team with an outbreak among unvaccinated players in a canceled game will suffer a loss. Players on both teams will lose their game controls, prompting players to watch each other through peer pressure.

NFL Network’s Judy Bautista reported on August 11 that 91.7% of league players have been fully vaccinated, well above the 59.4% vaccination rate among eligible Americans (12 and older) reported by the CDC on Monday. The Falcons join the Ole Miss football team to achieve a 100% vaccination rate after head coach Lane Kiffin announced last week that every player and staff member has been vaccinated. The WNBA, meanwhile, is setting the tone for the leagues, after announcing at the end of June that 99% of its players were fully vaccinated.

The COVID-19 vaccine has taken on added urgency as the Delta variant is responsible for a growing epidemic in the United States. COVID-19 killed more than 620,000 Americans and killed more than 4.3 million people worldwide on Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins.

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