Tyson Foods to offer free onsite COVID-19 vaccinations

Tyson Foods said it will offer free onsite COVID-19 vaccinations this week to thousands of employees  in Arkansas, where 20% of the company’s U.S. workforce is based. Vaccinations will also be offered at locations in Kansas and North Carolina.

The vaccines are being provided in conjunction with Matrix Medical and health departments in each of the three states, where food processing workers are among the priority groups now eligible for vaccination.

“We’ve been working with Matrix Medical and health department officials to prepare for this moment and we’re ready,” said Tom Brower, senior vice president of Health and Safety for Tyson Foods. “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.”

Tyson Foods officials expect many of the company’s 24,000 Arkansas employees to be vaccinated during onsite events, beginning at it Fayetteville plant on Tuesday (March 9) and its Berry St. plant in Springdale on Wednesday (March 10). Additional vaccination events are planned this week for Tyson employees in Garden City, Kan., and at Tyson facilities in Claremont, Monroe, Sanford and Wilkesboro, N.C.

Tyson said nearly 10,000 of its U.S employees were recently vaccinated either at onsite events or through an external source. Approximately 1,300 employees were vaccinated March 3-5 at Tyson’s Waterloo, Iowa, pork plant.

Tyson said the company is seeing success from the vaccination and education efforts from recent weeks as the new incidence of the virus among company employees is low.