Alaska is considering making COVID-19 vaccine required for its staff

Alaska Airlines employees will be forced to get vaccinated for COVID once the federal government gives full approval to at least one of the vaccines, the company said in a memo to its staff.

Airlines issuing vaccine mandates are fueling a national debate on whether or not companies and government have the authority to do so, amid fears vaccine approval has been rushed.

Currently, the three vaccines available in the US – Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson – have been authorized under emergency approval. Pfizer and Moderna have applied for full FDA approval, and Pfizer is expected to get the green light by Labor Day, according to The New York Times.

Alaska Airlines joined many of its rivals who have already issued companywide mandates.

On Friday, United Airlines became the first major US carrier to require jabs for all of its 67,000 staff by October 25. Hawaiian Airlines is giving their staff until November 1 to receive their second shot, if they are getting a two-dose vaccine.

While United and Hawaiian will only allow exemptions on the basis of religious or medical reasons, low-cost carrier Frontier said its employees can opt out of the vaccine through weekly testing.

Alaska Airlines reportedly sent a memo to employees announcing they were considering making vaccination mandatory once the FDA gave full approval to a vaccine

Alaska joins a slew of airlines issuing vaccine mandates. United, Frontier and Hawaiian have also made it a requirement for their staff

The Pfizer vaccine is ‘under priority review’ for full approval and could be authorized as soon as Labor Day

Southwest will ‘continue to strongly encourage’ employees to get vaccinated, however, its stance on requiring employees to get the jab has not changed, CEO Gary Kelly said in an internal memo obtained by CNN.

‘Obviously, I am very concerned about the latest Delta variant, and the effect on the health and Safety of our Employees and our operation, but nothing has changed,’ Kelly said.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian told Good Day New York on Tuesday that 75% of its workforce is vaccinated even without a companywide mandate.

It is unclear if Alaska will allow staff to opt out of vaccination through weekly testing, like Frontier has or if they will enforce a more rigorous mandate like United’s

On Wednesday, Amtrak announced they will require more than 18,000 of their employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or submit to weekly testing

Despite issuing a mandate for new employees, Delta Airlines CEO Ed Bastian said that did not apply to all staff and that they have no vaccine mandate

While Southwest will ‘continue to strongly encourage’ employees to get vaccinated, their stance on requiring employees to get the jab has not changed, CEO Gary Kelly said in an internal memo obtained by CNN

The carrier did require all new hires to get vaccinated in May, with United Airlines following behind shortly after in June.

In a similar case, American Airlines will not require employees to show proof of vaccination, but will offer workers who get vaccinated by the end of August one extra day of vacation in 2022 as incentive.

‘We certainly encourage it everywhere we can, encourage it for our customers and our employees, but we’re not putting mandates in place,’ American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said in a New York Times podcast interview.

Outside the airline industry, the US military, high-profile hospitals and more than 500 US universities have issued vaccine requirements.

Recently, California became the first state to mandate coronavirus vaccines for teachers, following advise from Anthony Fauci for state and local government.

Amtrak also said on Friday that it will require more than 18,000 of its employees to be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing.

‘Because vaccines are the best way to protect ourselves, our families, and our customers, we have made some important decisions regarding Amtrak vaccination requirements,’ Amtrak’s Chief Executive, William Flynn, wrote in a memo.

‘Many employees have shared reasons why they are apprehensive about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. We understand these concerns and encourage everyone to consult with a medical professional and seek out facts from reputable sources.’

In addition to Amtrak, companies such as Google, Netflix and Facebook all issued companywide mandates to curb the spread of COVID.

Last month, Microsoft announced all staff working at its US offices will have to show proof of their COVID-19 vaccination from September.

The company announced the new requirement, which will also apply to vendors and guests in their buildings.

‘As we have done since the beginning of the pandemic, we continue to closely track new developments and adapt our plans as this situation evolves, keeping employee health and safety top of mind,’ Microsoft said.

In addition, Tyson Foods, Walmart, Equinox, The New York Times, and The Washington Post are also requiring their employees to show proof of their vaccination.

Walmart’s vaccine mandate will exclude frontline workers, who the company says have a lower vaccination rate than management. But it’s hoping that managerial employees, who represent just a fraction of its 1.5 million workers, will serve as inspiration.

In a memo sent out in July, Washington Post CEO Fred Ryan told staff they must demonstrate proof of vaccination as a condition of their employment when they return to the office on October 18.

‘Even though the overwhelming majority of Post employees have already provided proof of vaccination, I do not take this decision lightly,’ he said.

‘However, in considering the serious health issues and genuine safety concerns of so many Post employees, I believe the plan is the right one.’

Disney also mentioned all new hires will be required to be fully vaccinated before starting employment.

‘Vaccines are the best tool we all have to help control this global pandemic and protect our employees,’ Disney said in a statement.

Disney has about 200,000 employees but it is unclear how many of them are affected.

Various government agencies already have announced demands for all their employees to be vaccinated, but the corporate world so far has been taking a more cautious approach, even though most lawyers believe the mandates are legal.