Ford to start on-site COVID-19 vaccination for U.S. workers

Ford Motor on Monday said it would offer on-site COVID-19 vaccines to its hourly and salaried workers at manufacturing facilities in three states, speeding up efforts to keep its employees safe from the coronavirus.

Ford and the United Auto Workers (UAW) have secured contracts enabling them to provide the vaccines at the company’s manufacturing facilities located in Southeast Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio, starting Monday, the automaker said.

“COVID-19 vaccines are a major tool to help reduce the risk of infection, so we want to ensure our workers have access to vaccines,” Ford’s corporate medical director, Dr. Francesca Litow, said.

The automaker said it was working with the UAW and health providers to provide doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, and prepares to expand the on-site vaccination to more locations.

The automaker said it would provide a digital scheduling system for workers to sign up for an appointment. After the first shot, workers will automatically be scheduled for a second dose.

The automaker expects to keep the vaccination program operating at various locations through June.