Tyson Foods has announced it will require all staff to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. This will come into effect for office staff on 1 October and remaining staff by 1 November. Currently, around half of Tyson’s staff are vaccinated, with the company hosting 100 events across the US vaccinating 55,000 staff. It will also make a $200 (€170) payment to all staff receiving a vaccination as an incentive.

Tyson also said that COVID-19 has already cost the company over $700m (€590m) on personal protection equipment, installing protective barriers, testing and employing an extra 200 nurses as well as appointing a chief medical officer.

Tyson is one of the world’s largest protein companies with a $43.2bn (€36.5bn) annual turnover. It has a weekly capacity to process 155,000 cattle, 461,000 pigs, 45m chickens and produce 74m pounds (33.5m kg) of processed foods. The business is centred in the US but operates globally.Irish companies have also been organising vaccinations for staff and Linden Foods and Dunbia have a joint vaccination centre operating in Dungannon Co Tyrone this week.