Tyson Foods is vaccinating thousands of frontline workers at some of its plants across the country. This includes its large chicken processing complex in Wilkesboro.
The company announced this week that on-site COVID-19 vaccination clinics will open in Arkansas, Kansas, and North Carolina. The vaccines are being provided in conjunction with Matrix Medical and local health departments.
Workers in the meatpacking and poultry processing industry are among those now eligible under Group 3 to receive the shot.
Tyson spokesman Derek Burleson says the vaccine will be provided at no cost to employees.
“It’s not mandatory," he says. "We are not forcing team members to become vaccinated, but we are encouraging them to do it and we are spending a lot of time educating them with really expert third party material from Matrix Medical, the CDC.”
The company says nearly 10,000 of its U.S employees have recently been vaccinated either at onsite events or through an external source. In Wilkes County, the Tyson plant employs around 3,000 people.