Apple in partnership with Walgreens for a COVID — 19 vaccination program

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Apple is launching a COVID-19 vaccination program for its employees, which can be received at the company’s offices, according to a new report from Bloomberg.

Back in March, Apple promised time off for employees to receive and recover from any side effects of COVID-19 vaccines — while stating that it did not have access to these vaccines given that they are a private company. However, with vaccine supplies expanding widely in the United States, the company is now able to provide vaccine shots to all those employees who are not yet vaccinated.

Apple is now teaming up with Walgreens Boots Alliance (the parent company of Walgreens Pharmacies) to implement the program, thereby allowing it to administer shots on campus. In order to carry out the above mentioned program, a new website will allegedly be rolled out soon for employees to sign-up for vaccination appointments. Once signed-up, Apple employees will then be able to receive the doses at Apple offices. While all this may sound compulsory, this vaccination program is completely voluntary, with Apple offering sick leave to employees who need time to recover from symptoms after receiving the vaccine.

The company is working with Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. to give workers the shots at Apple offices. The Cupertino, California-based technology giant is rolling out a website for staff to sign up for appointments. The company previously told staff that, as a private company, it didn’t have access to COVID-19 vaccines for staff members. However, vaccine availability in California has expanded considerably and all residents in the state are now eligible to receive shots.

Apple has neither asked their employees to return, nor set any particular date for their return even after getting vaccinated, according to Bloomberg. However, with such a program being initiated by the Cupertino company, more and more employees could be encouraged to get vaccinated and resume work in their physical form — back in Apple's offices.

In California, where Apple's main corporate campuses are located, all individuals over the age of 16 have been eligible for a vaccine since April 15, 2021. Demand in the Bay Area is high, however, and it can be difficult for individuals living in and around Cupertino to conveniently get vaccinated. With that said, some "mission-critical staff" have been working in Apple's offices throughout the pandemic. A certain number of Apple's engineers have also been back in the office for months, though only with limited hours.

Last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that he "can't wait" for employees to return to the office as person-to-person interactions are essential for generating new ideas. Although a particular date has not yet been publicly announced, Cook has told employees that a significant segment of employees will begin returning back to offices starting in June this year.

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Published to Apple Scoop on 24th April, 2021.