NAMI Wants Essential Meat and Poultry Workers To Be High Priority for COVID-19 Vaccine

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The North American Meat Institute this week urged federal authorities to highly prioritize COVID-19 vaccination for the men and women who work in the meat and poultry industry, following health care workers and those in long-term care facilities.

 

Meat Institute President and CEO Julie Anna Potts commented: “The men and women of the meat and poultry industry help keep America’s grocery stores stocked and our farm economy working. They should be highly prioritized for COVID-19 vaccination, following our nation’s brave health care workers.

 

“The meat and poultry industry was among the first sectors to be challenged with the pandemic, and since March the industry has implemented effective programs and controls to stop the spread of COVID. Our efforts are working, but access to vaccines remains the most critical tool to protect this critical infrastructure workforce.”

 

Since spring, meat and poultry companies have implemented health recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Occupational Health and Safety Administration and, in many cases, additional measures. The industry has spent more than $1 billion to date on procedures and controls to both support and protect employees. These measures include physical adaptations to facilities, personal protective equipment, enhanced sanitation, advanced ventilation systems, extensive testing and contact tracing, enhanced health care services and more.

 

To read the Meat Institute’s comments to ACIP, go here.