Tyson Foods Says 5,400 Employees Get Vaccinated Against COVID-19 After Vaccine Mandate

CHICAGO, Aug. 9 (Reuters) – About 5,400 employees at Tyson Foods Inc (TSN.N) have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or received their first vaccines since the meat processor ordered the all of its U.S. staff to get vaccinated by November, the company said on Monday.

Big US companies are changing their policies on vaccinations and masking as the Delta variant of the coronavirus leads to a resurgence of cases. Read more

Tyson said last Tuesday that office workers must be fully immunized by October 1, while factory workers have until November 1, subject to discussions with unions. At the time, about 56,000 employees had already been vaccinated, or about 47% of Tyson’s 120,000 employees in the United States, according to the company. Read more

Employees had a “somewhat mixed” reaction to the tenure, chief executive Donnie King told reporters on Monday after the company reported higher-than-expected quarterly profits. Some workers received vaccines who previously “weren’t really excited about the vaccination,” he said. Read more

King did not know of any employees who resigned during the tenure, but said there could be “short-term impacts.”

“We don’t want to lose anyone,” he said.

Tyson came under fire last year as workers at the plant were infected and died from COVID-19. The company has temporarily closed factories to contain the outbreaks, tightening the supply of meat to the United States.

The recent spread of the Delta variant has made it more difficult for Tyson to find workers, King said.

Reporting by Tom Polansek; Editing by David Gregorio

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