United Airlines is requiring all 67,000 of its US employees to be fully vaccinated.
The decision was announced today (Friday, August 6) by the airline company, who said that all of its US-based employees need to get vaccinated by October 25 or risk termination of their employment, NBC News reports.
Until now, United along with other airlines have only attempted to encourage their employees to get vaccinated by providing certain perks, such as giving them extra sick days or a bonus.
The Independent reports that employees who are already vaccinated or who receive their vaccinations by September 20 will be rewarded with an extra day of pay.
NBC adds that Delta was requiring all newly hired employees to show proof of vaccination in May, and United made the same decision in June.
Executives for United Airlines state that employees will need to provide proof that they have received two doses of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of Johnson & Johnson's, five weeks after federal approval is given to the vaccine or by October 25 - whichever comes first.
However, exceptions will be made to the vaccine mandate on account of health and religious reasons.
Company leaders have said that they made vaccination mandatory because of compelling evidence around the efficacy of the vaccines and said that it is a matter of safety.
"We know some of you will disagree with this decision to require the vaccine for all United employees," United CEO Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart said in an employee note, per The Independent.
"But, we have no greater responsibility to you and your colleagues than to ensure your safety when you're at work, and the facts are crystal clear: everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated."
NBC reports that company officials have said that 90 percent of pilots and 80 percent of United flight attendants have already been vaccinated, however, the overall vaccination rate in the company is not known.
The increased rate of Covid-19 cases during the autumn and winter of 2020 is what motivated United's decision to make vaccination mandatory, according to officials.
The Independent reports that the Biden administration is also considering making vaccination mandatory for non-US citizens to enter the country.