Biggest U.S. Meatpacker Mandates Vaccine With Variant Spreading
- Meatpacker cites Covid cases flaring up amid the unvaccinated
- More companies slowly turn to mandates as delta variant rages
Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg
Tyson Foods Inc. is requiring all of its U.S. workers to be fully vaccinated no later than Nov. 1. The move by Tyson, America’s biggest meat company, is among the most aggressive yet to prevent another wave of infections that shuttered food-production plants in 2020.
So far, companies have mostly used bonuses and other incentives to encourage workers to get vaccines. Now, with the delta variant flaring up around the country and threatening disruptions, some are slowly turning to mandates. Walmart Inc., the biggest private employer in the U.S., and Walt Disney Corp. announced vaccination requirements for some employees last week. In another major signal, frontline workers at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs will also have to get their shots.