Two of the highest authorities of United Airlines, its CEO, Scott Kirby, and its president, Brett J. Hart, communicated today through a letter addressed to all their employees that, supported by statistics regarding their effectiveness, as of boreal autumn will be mandatory for all those who are based in the United States (including Puerto Rico and Guam), to complete the vaccination schedule and upload the certificate to the company’s intranet.
“We have learned that vaccines are by far the most effective way to protect people from COVID-19. In fact, we now know that an unvaccinated person is approximately 50 times more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19 than a vaccinated person and almost 300 times more likely to die,” they said in the letter.
Employees have up to five weeks after the FDA announces full approval of the Pfizer, Moderna, and J&J vaccines (so far approved under emergency) or from September 20, whichever occurs first, to upload the vaccination card in which the application of the two doses (or one of the J&J) is registered. This puts October 25 as the potential deadline to do so, unless FDA approval comes in early September, as reported by some media.
To further motivate vaccination, those who have already done it or do it from now on and upload the registration, will be offered an extra day of payment (does not apply to pilots and cabin crew who have already received compensation negotiated by the union).
“We know that some of you will disagree with this decision to require the vaccine for all United employees. But we have no greater responsibility to you and your colleagues than to ensure your safety when you are at work, and the facts are very clear: everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated,” continued the executives.
Appealing to emotionality, they stated that during the last 16 months they sent dozens of letters of condolence to the relatives of United employees who died of COVID-19, so “we are determined to do everything possible to prevent that another United family get that letter.”
The company made a vaccine search engine available to employees on its intranet to locate the nearest center, schedule an appointment and later load the card, emphasizing that it is free.
