SPRINGDALE, ARK. – Tyson Foods Inc. is continuing to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to its workforce at on-site locations in Arkansas, Kansas and North Carolina this week. Thousands of Tyson front-line workers will be eligible to receive the vaccine in these states where food processing workers are now eligible for vaccination. Tyson is working with Matrix Medical and local health departments to administer the vaccine to workers.

“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. “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.”

In Arkansas, Tyson will hold on-site vaccination events in Fayetteville on March 9 and in Springdale, at its Berry Street plant, on March 10. More than 24,000 people work at Tyson’s Arkansas facilities.

Additional vaccination events are planned this week for Tyson employees in Garden City, Kan., and at Tyson plants in the North Carolina cities of Claremont, Monroe, Sanford and Wilkesboro.

To date, nearly 10,000 of the company’s US employees have recently been vaccinated either at Tyson plants during on-site events or through an external source. Approximately 1,300 workers were vaccinated March 3-5 at the company’s Waterloo, Iowa, pork plant.

To prepare and educate its workers about the vaccination, the company provided resources and education in multiple languages. Workers also have access to a hotline to ask questions. The company is also compensating workers for up to four hours of regular pay if they are vaccinated outside of their normal shift or if they are vaccinated at another location.

Since the spring of 2020, Tyson has invested hundreds of millions of dollars to help protect its workers from COVID-19, according to the company. These efforts included adding walk-through temperature scanners and workstation dividers and providing on-site testing at its facilities around the country. Tyson also expanded its health services staff, added a chief medical officer and is planning to pilot health clinics for employees and their families.