Newport News Shipbuilding to begin vaccinating workers next week

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) -- Newport News Shipbuilding officials say they will begin vaccinating their workers next week.

Although the shipyard president said the shipyard would have COVID-19 vaccines for its workers by the end of January, a slow vaccine rollout and limited supply means it'll take until the week of Feb. 1 to begin giving doses.

"The vaccine is in high demand, and like the rest of the country, Virginia and Hampton Roads are experiencing a slow rollout. This impacts the speed at which we are able to vaccinate our workforce," Shipyard President Jennifer Boykin wrote on social media Friday.

The shipyard said it expects a limited supply through February, but is optimistic that will increase in the following months.

The order in which workers will be vaccinated follows Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Newport News Shipbuilding also has a list of frequently asked questions about its vaccination process online.

The vaccine is not mandatory for shipyard workers, but its strongly encouraged, Boykin said.

from WAVY.com https://ift.tt/2YquLTh