Tyson Foods in Waterloo is inviting 13,000 Iowa employees to roll up their sleeves for a free COVID-19 vaccination shot.

Last year, Tyson Foods was thrust into the middle of a controversial spotlight as vulnerable workers at their food processing plants began falling ill with Covid-19. It was vitally important to protect the essential workers who needed to return to the front lines to prevent disruptions in the nation's food supply change. But at that time there was no vaccine yet created.

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Since then, the company has moved swiftly in its response to the COVID-19 crisis. Tyson Foods invested hundreds of millions of dollars to protect workers with temperature scanners, workstation dividers, on-site testing, and an extended expanded health service staff among other additional safeguards.

According to Iowa's News Now, Tyson has also been providing free educational materials in multiple languages for their workers, along with additional resources including setting up a Telephone Hotline and to help answer questions

"We've been working with Matrix Medical, Hy-Vee and health department officials across Iowa to prepare for this moment and we're ready" - Tom Brower, Senior Vice President of Health and Safety for Tysons Food

In addition to offering free vaccinations, Iowa's News Now says Tyson also recently announced it will pay workers up to four hours of regular pay if they get a vaccine outside of their normal shift hours or from an outside source.

The company is currently setting up free employee vaccination stations in multiple locations around the state, including Columbus Junction, Council Bluffs, Independence, Perry, Sioux City, Storm Lake and Waterloo.

Source: Iowa's News Now

LOOK: Answers to 30 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

While much is still unknown about the coronavirus and the future, what is known is that the currently available vaccines have gone through all three trial phases and are safe and effective. It will be necessary for as many Americans as possible to be vaccinated in order to finally return to some level of pre-pandemic normalcy, and hopefully these 30 answers provided here will help readers get vaccinated as soon they are able.

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