Pfizer Inc., the US pharmaceutical company that developed a vaccine for Covid-19 in partnership with Germany's BioNTech, announced yesterday that it will require its staff and contractors in the US to be vaccinated or tested weekly for the new coronavirus.
Pfizer spokeswoman Pamela Eisele said the company took the initiative to "protect the health and safety of colleagues and the communities we serve". Employees who have an illness or objection for religious reasons may request exemption.
Outside the US, Pfizer will strongly urge its employees who can be vaccinated in their home countries to do so. In 2020, Pfizer had approximately 29,400 employees in the United States with worldwide staff numbers are estimated at 78,500 employees.
As cases increase again due to the Delta variant, companies such as Alphabet and Walt Disney require their employees to be vaccinated.
According to the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) an estimated 70.1% of American adults had received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.
