It’s no surprise that many healthcare workers are being offered and are even highly encouraged to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Maybe you know a friend or acquaintance that has received it due to their connections. What about the other companies that may not be healthcare related, but are at high risk of contracting the virus?
Select retail and grocery stores all across the United States have decided to compensate their workers if they decide to get the vaccine. Dollar General, in particular, is the first among many of the larger U.S. companies that employ essential workers to incentivize their staff to be vaccinated. Many airlines and other transportation companies are attempting to get access to the vaccine, but not many have gone as far as to bring money to the table in exchange for receiving the vaccination. Some recent reports have said that airlines are trying to push the priority of obtaining the vaccine for their workers as they are some of the most exposed, given their traveling conditions.
Many companies and hospitals are not mandating their workers to receive the vaccine although some, like CVS and Verizon, do encourage it. However, Dollar General, Instacart, Trader Joe’s and Aldi have all decided to compensate their employees for successfully getting vaccinated. Each employee who gets the COVID-19 vaccine will have the administration cover it. They will also receive two hours of pay per dose for up to four doses total. This may be somewhat of a familiar incentive as pharmacies such as those located in Publix’s around the United States offer gift cards for receiving the flu vaccine once a year.
What does this mean for essential workers? For starters, it means that there is an incentive for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, especially given such an incentive. This also leads to a likely increase in other companies to protect both the company and their employees. The most commonly reported mandated vaccinating has been specified in health care workers and residents in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes in order to protect those elderly individuals who may be more susceptible to the virus.
Many healthcare and other essential workers have taken the vaccine without any proper incentive in order to protect their patients and anyone else they may come in contact with, especially their families. So far, only larger businesses have jumped on the money compensation train and it is highly likely that many more will in the following few weeks given the high success rates that have been reported. However, individuals do need to make sure that they receive both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
So far, there have been no specific reports about which vaccine is required for individuals to receive in order to get compensation, but both vaccines do require both doses regardless in order to ensure effectiveness. The only vaccines that have not required two full doses are still undergoing testing and are not approved yet. Even individuals who may have already contracted COVID-19 in the past are still advised to get a COVID-19 vaccine as evidence so far suggests that natural immunity from the virus does not last very long.
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