Tyson Offers COVID Vaccine to Workers in 3 States

Protein products producer Tyson Foods announced Monday that thousands of its employees in Arkansas, Kansas, and North Carolina will be able to receive free on-site COVID-19 vaccinations this week. The company is administering the drug in cooperation with its partner, Matrix Medical, and local health departments.

Food processing workers are considered a priority for vaccinations in those states. Tyson said it anticipates that many of its 24,000 workers in Arkansas will opt to receive a dose at on-site events at its plants in Fayetteville and Springdale. Additional events will also be held at the firm’s plants in Claremont, Monroe, Sanford and Wilkesboro in North Carolina and Garden City, KS.

“We’ve been working with Matrix Medical and health department officials to prepare for this moment and we’re ready,” Tom Brower, senior vice president of Health and Safety for Tyson, said in a company release. “We’re pleased to offer our team members convenient access to the vaccine, and we appreciate state leaders recognizing the essential role they play in feeding the world.”

About 10,000 Tyson workers in the US have been vaccinated at on-site events or by a third party, according to the company.

Earlier this month, Powder & Bulk Solids reported that Tyson was gearing up to vaccinate “thousands” of employees at its processing plants in Iowa. Tyson’s chief executive officer and president, Dean Banks, said in a February 11 call with investors that the food company “incurred $120 million of direct incremental COVID-19 cost during the first quarter” of FY 2021.