Photo credit: Scott Olson, Getty Images
The supermarket chain Kroger announced on Friday that it will pay its employees $ 100 to obtain the Covid-19 vaccine.
According to a report by NBC’s affiliate in West Palm Beach, Florida, WPTV, the company is offering the incentive to frontline workers in the market, as well as employees in its supply chain, manufacturing, pharmacy and call divisions. center.
“We know that the most effective defense against this pandemic comes in the form of the COVID-19 vaccine and in the continuation of the strict safety precautions that we have established in our stores, factories and supply chain”, Dr. Marc Watkins, Kroger’s medical director, said in a statement. “We are strongly encouraging all customers and associates to receive the vaccine to contain the spread of COVID-19 and will do everything we can to ensure that they have access as soon as it is available.”
The Kroger move, which marks the first company to pay its workers to be vaccinated, comes amid a broader debate about the risks and benefits of assigning financial incentives to an individual public health decision.
Currently, grocery workers are categorized by the CDC as belonging to the “Phase 2” priority group, after frontline health workers and elderly Americans. With the vaccine launch across the country still gaining momentum, this large cohort could take several weeks to start receiving vaccines.
For Kroger employees who cannot get the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, the company said it will still provide the $ 100 bonus after taking a health and safety course.
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