IOWA, USA — After hundreds of workers got sick and several died from COVID-19, Tyson Foods announced Monday it will begin vaccinating thousands of Iowa meatpacking plant workers this week.
Tyson operates seven facilities in the state. Local health departments will help administer the vaccines in the food processing plants throughout the week.
Agriculture workers are now eligible to receive the vaccine in Iowa; they're in the second tier of the state's Phase 1B vaccination plan.
Tyson Foods officials expect many of the company's 13,000 Iowa employees to be vaccinated during vaccination events later this week at or near company facilities in Columbus Junction, Council Bluffs, Independence, Perry, Sioux City, Storm Lake and Waterloo.
Tyson said it's been preparing its workers for the vaccination clinics, providing information to team members in multiple languages and setting up a hotline for questions.
In April and May of 2020, hundreds of Iowa meatpacking plant workers became sick with coronavirus. Tyson's plants in Storm Lake, Waterloo, and Columbus Junction had to temporarily shut down after the virus infected many on the frontlines.
The company fired seven plant managers in Waterloo after after an independent investigation revealed they placed wagers on COVID-19 infections in the facility.
One of the fired employees told the Associated Press the actions were intended to boost morale and were not done with "any malicious intent."
As more and more outbreaks were reported at meatpacking plants, Gov. Kim Reynolds pushed plants to remain open. She also applauded President Donald Trump's order to keep processing plants open throughout the country during the pandemic.
JBS announced Sunday that 8,500 employees across eight states will be eligible for the vaccine starting this week, including the company's Marshalltown plant.
Cargill and Smithfield Foods have also announced vaccination plans for workers in the Midwest, The Associated Press reports.
Watch: Complete coronavirus coverage from Local 5 on YouTube