U.S. energy companies weigh on employee vaccination mandates

The U.S. energy industry is weighing on COVID-19 vaccine mandates for employees as infections are on the rise following the spread of the delta variant.

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Hess Corporation says its employees in U.S. operations working in the Gulf of Mexico will need to be fully vaccinated by November 1 in order to enter offshore facilities.

“Given the highly infectious nature of the delta variant and the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the United States, we are implementing additional preventive measures in our operations in the Gulf of Mexico to help ensure safety and business continuity, ”a spokesperson told FOX Business on Monday. . “Safety is always our first priority.”

Chevron will also require its offshore workforce in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as some onshore support staff, to be vaccinated by November 1. Other Chevron employees who must be vaccinated under the policy include expatriate workers and workers traveling overseas.

“Chevron is committed to protecting the health of our people, and vaccinations are the best protection against this virus,” a company spokesperson told FOX Business. “We will continue to carefully monitor medical data and follow directions from health authorities to protect our staff. “

Oilfield services company Schlumberger told FOX Business that some of its customers request that personnel be vaccinated or tested before arriving at job sites.

“As a service company, we continually review our internal policies and procedures to ensure that we can meet the needs of our customers while putting the health and safety of all our employees first,” added the company.

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Despite these measures, not all energy companies demand that their employees receive the jab.

“We strongly encourage vaccination,” an ExxonMobil spokesperson told FOX Business. “We will continue to monitor the advice of healthcare organizations and the effectiveness of our mitigation efforts, and make adjustments if and when necessary.”

The company says all unvaccinated people have been required since Aug. 18 to wear a face cover indoors when 6 feet of social distancing cannot be maintained. ExxonMobil also calls on those vaccinated to “use their best judgment and consider wearing a face covering when in crowded areas for long periods of time.”

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The announcements come as Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine was fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration on Monday for people aged 16 and older.

The companies also plan to seek authorization for a third booster dose of their vaccine for people aged 16 or older and will submit to full FDA approval for people aged 12 to 15 once. that the data required up to six months after the second dose of vaccine will be available. . Patients aged 12 to 15 are currently eligible for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine under emergency use authorization.

Other companies that require vaccinations for employees include Disney, Facebook, Google, Uber, Equinox Group, Tyson Foods, United Airlines, Citigroup, Mcdonalds and the New York Stock Exchange. Walmart will also require vaccinations for U.S. employees above the store and club level, such as area managers and company employees.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 170.8 million Americans, or 62.4% of American adults, are so far fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Meanwhile, more than 201.4 million Americans, or 73% of American adults, have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.