A jab on the job: Ford to start on-site Covid-19 vaccination for employees

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

Ford Motor Company and the United Auto Workers (UAW) have secured contracts allowing them to provide the vaccines at the company's manufacturing facilities 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 employees have access to vaccines," Ford's corporate medical director, Dr Francesca Litow, said.

The Dearborn, Michigan-based company said it was working with the UAW and health providers to administer doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, and plans to expand the on-site vaccination to additional locations.

Ford said it would provide a digital scheduling system for employees to sign up for an appointment. Following the first shot, employees will automatically be scheduled for a second dose.

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