April 21, 2021
Around the world, the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is bringing us closer to a return to normal life. That may include some form of a return to workplaces that have been closed over the past year to help in efforts to keep the virus from overloading our health systems.
“In the U.S. we now have two vaccines being administered every day. We know each of them are safe and effective,” says Dr. Neal Mills, Aon’s chief medical officer. “A year on, there have been more than 200 million doses administered and those who are fully vaccinated are able to return to some level of normal activity.”
Many employers are beginning to consider the impact vaccinations could have on reopening workplaces: tactical and logistical planning, determining whether to require vaccinations and how to manage a partially vaccinated workforce. There are a number of issues for employers to consider in crafting an employee COVID-19 vaccine program, says J.D. Piro, senior vice president and national practice leader in the Legal Consulting Group, Health Solutions at Aon. Among them:
- Administering program exemptions
- Providing vaccine access
- Obtaining evidence of vaccinations
- Dealing with reluctant employees
- Determining the risk of employee lawsuits
- Paying for vaccines
- Assessing whether to offer employees incentives to get vaccinated
As employers address the issues of bringing employees back to the workplace, here’s a look back at how far we’ve come through the COVID-19 pandemic:
Vaccines Offer Hope for the Pandemic’s End
Though experts expect COVID-19 to remain a factor in our lives like the seasonal flu, each vaccination brings us closer to the end of the pandemic.
“We’ve gone from a year ago, when the pandemic was just starting, to a situation now where we’re vaccinating over three million Americans every day,” Piro says. “So that’s certainly progress, and progress we’re looking forward to more of over the next few months.”
For more information about planning for the COVID-19 vaccine, including past and upcoming webinars, browse Aon’s COVID-19 Insights & Resources site.
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