Poultry facilities continue vaccination efforts

By Glenn Rolfe
Posted 3/20/21

In growing numbers, poultry workers at Mountaire Farms and Perdue Farms processing plants in Delaware are rolling up their sleeves during the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination effort.

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Poultry facilities continue vaccination efforts

Posted

In growing numbers, poultry workers at Mountaire Farms and Perdue Farms processing plants in Delaware are rolling up their sleeves during the ongoing COVID-19 vaccination effort.

“We’re vaccinating as many people as possible who want the shot,” said Mountaire Farms spokeswoman Catherine Bassett.

At Perdue Farms, as of Tuesday, “more than 2,000 Perdue associates have received the vaccine, including nearly 400 in Delaware,” Perdue spokeswoman Diana Souder said.

“We continue to work closely with state and local officials and stand ready to provide vaccines to our associates as soon as they are available by location,” Ms. Souder said.

For Mountaire, Ms. Bassett declined to share the number of its employees that have received either one or both shots of the vaccine, saying the company is “still working hard” to get people vaccinated.

“I don’t think it’s fair to say at this point what that number is,” said Ms. Bassett. “We’ve got more clinics (this) week. We are scheduling people every day to get vaccinated. We’re working hard until the last person gets vaccinated. That’s our goal.”

In late spring 2020, several months into the coronavirus pandemic, poultry plants experienced noticeable COVID-19 outbreaks among employees. The Georgetown area, with a large Hispanic population, emerged as a virus hot spot in Delaware.

In reaction to the large numbers at poultry-processing facilities, the state ramped up testing for those employees at that time.

Then, on March 5, the state began shipping doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to poultry companies to begin vaccinating their most vulnerable workers.

Poultry plant workers in Delaware represent a large core of essential employees classified as Phase 1B candidates for the COVID-19 vaccine. In December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that states include meat-processing workers in that phase.

Most of Mountaire Farms’ approximately 5,000 employees on Delmarva are based at its two processing plants in Millsboro and Selbyville.

“We’ve partnered with TidalHealth in Seaford for some of our employees, and now Premise Health, our on-site Health & Wellness Center provider, is getting vaccine supply from the state of Delaware for our processing plants,” said Ms. Bassett. “We began busing employees to the TidalHealth facility in Seaford, which took some logistical coordination, but now we’re able to just shuttle them across the street to our on-site Health & Wellness Centers in Millsboro and Selbyville.”

Perdue began preparing late last year for vaccine distribution to its associates across the country, including in the Delmarva region.

Poultry companies are also working to bridge potential language barriers with their substantial employee base of Latino and Haitian workers.

“This includes continuing to engage and inform associates regarding the importance of the vaccine and working to administer them through the on-site Wellness Centers at our facilities or facilitate them in partnership with local health experts,” said Ms. Souder.

Vaccination efforts have met some resistance.

“Some of our employees are reluctant, just like in the general population,” Ms. Bassett said. “We’re continuing to provide incentives to get vaccinated and educational videos and materials to help our employees make the right decision.”

Mountaire has pledged to give $40 Visa gift cards to those employees who receive both shots. Vaccination efforts at Mountaire will continue into the spring.

“We’re hopeful to be able to offer vaccinations to all of our employees by the end of April,” said Ms. Bassett.

Mountaire has been working in concert with the Division of Public Health since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

“DPH has been working with each of the poultry plants in Delaware to assist with their vaccination efforts for their employees,” said Division of Public Health spokesman James Lee.

“DPH efforts have included offers to assist with onsite vaccinations, linking the plants with off-site medical providers to increase vaccination efforts and providing education materials in several common languages spoken by poultry workers.

“Additionally, the state has offered to bring healthcare providers on site to the plants to provide education to workers and answer any of their questions. DPH is also providing support to provide vaccinations off site for any poultry workers interested and their family members who are over 50 years old. DPH supports the plants vaccinating not only their staff but the immediate family members who are over 50,” said Mr. Lee.

Ms Bassett says Mountaire has worked with several partners.

“We’ve worked closely with the state from the beginning of COVID, obviously. We’ve been in very close contact with them,” said Ms. Bassett. “When the vaccine program first became available, the state encouraged anyone who was able to administer the vaccines to register with the state. So Premise, being our on-site Health & Wellness Centers, went ahead and registered with the state. They were contacted directly by the state to let us know that some vaccine was forthcoming.

“Now, independently of that, we worked with TidalHealth and their clinic that they had operating in Seaford, as well as they did a mobile clinic for us in Maryland at our Princess Anne hatchery. TidalHealth has been very helpful and proactive in terms of trying to help us get our employees vaccinated,” Ms. Bassett said. “And we are still talking with Beebe (Healthcare) about possibilities to try to help get some of our employees’ family members vaccinated, as well. And those discussions are ongoing.”

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