Yesterday morning United Airlines announced it would require employees to be vaccinated, marking a first for a major airline in the United States. Well, it didn’t take long for another airline to follow.
In this post:
Frontier Airlines’ new vaccine policy as of October 1
Frontier Airlines has announced that all direct employees of the company will need to be fully vaccinated against coronavirus by October 1, 2021. As it’s described, this action comes as coronavirus cases, and in particular the delta variant, have increased throughout the United States.
As Frontier Airlines CEO Barry Biffle explains this development:
“As we continue to watch the rapid increase of new COVID-19 cases across the United States caused by the Delta variant, I am concerned for the well-being of our team members, their families and friends. Safety is of the utmost importance at Frontier and we need to take every step possible for us to keep our teams safe, protect the operation and protect our passengers. The time has come to do what we can to help put an end to COVID-19.
The good news is that the vast majority of our employees have already taken this important step and have gotten vaccinated. I hope the step we’re announcing today will further increase the percentage of our workforce that’s fully vaccinated.”
Interestingly as of now, Frontier Airlines might be the first major airline in the United States to introduce a vaccine policy. While United made the announcement first, the airline is only implementing its policy five weeks after September 20, 2021, or five weeks after the FDA announces that it has fully approved the vaccine, whichever comes first. In other words, United’s policy might only be implemented by late October, while Frontier is implementing its policy as of the beginning of October.
There’s a catch with Frontier Airlines’ policy
What happens if Frontier Airlines employees choose not to be vaccinated? Well, it seems the airline isn’t actually requiring employees to be vaccinated.
It’s stated that employees who choose not to or are unable to get vaccinated will be “asked to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test on a regular basis.” The airline will work with union leaders to establish testing protocols that work for employees, their health, and the overall safety of the workforce.
This differs from United’s policy. United will be firing employees who choose not to get vaccinated, with the only exception being “a very narrow reasonable accommodation process (as required by law) for religious and medical exemptions.”
So I guess Frontier is more taking the approach that it will be very inconvenient not to get vaccinated, rather than making it truly mandatory. I’m guessing the logic is that Frontier is looking to avoid the possibility of any legal issues with its policy.
Bottom line
Frontier Airlines is becoming the second major airline in the United States to announce plans for a vaccine requirement for employees. The policy will go into place as of October 1, so the airline may be the first in the United States to implement this. However, there is one catch — employees can choose to be frequently tested in lieu of getting vaccinated.
What do you make of Frontier Airlines’ new employee vaccination policy?
So, it's not a requirement. It's a choice of vaccination or showing the COVID tests many times.
To Regina: Breakthrough infections of vaccinated people are at the moment only 1%. 99% will not get infected and therefore will not risk shedding the virus to others. As of today's studies, if others are vaccinated, the risk of re-infection from a vaccinated person is almost nothing. It's worth the shot.
To Jay: HIPAA has nothing to do with this. HIPAA only applies to covered entities and an airlines is not.
I'm going to say the infections of vaccinated people are way underreported.
But because the vaccines are effective in reducing the effects of the virus, many vaccinated who were infected might not even be aware of having it. Hence these cases go unreported.
Who cares. When they removing the mask requirement on planes? Oh wait, never.
There was a big push-back against NO SMOKING but it has now become LAW in the AIR.
This is much more important to the health and safety of every employee and passenger.
Apply the same logic as smoking is bad for your health, but recognize being un-vaccinated is FATAL to your health, and this is a no-brainer.
Thanks United and Frontier
In case you’re interested in a real answer as to why it’s good to require vaccination for COVID, especially given the more fit delta variant (people have 1000x the viral load compared to the earlier variants):
Unvaccinated people are 5-8x more likely to become infected and 25x more likely to be hospitalized. And 24x more likely to die if unvaccinated.
If you are vaccinated and infected, your likelihood of symptomatic infection is much...
In case you’re interested in a real answer as to why it’s good to require vaccination for COVID, especially given the more fit delta variant (people have 1000x the viral load compared to the earlier variants):
Unvaccinated people are 5-8x more likely to become infected and 25x more likely to be hospitalized. And 24x more likely to die if unvaccinated.
If you are vaccinated and infected, your likelihood of symptomatic infection is much lower, meaning lower viral load, and much less chance of spreading to others.
If you’re unvaccinated, you are not only much more likely to get infected if exposed, but much more likely to spread, much more likely to be hospitalized and much more likely to die. That’s all bad for passengers unvaccinated employees are interacting with and very inconvenient for the airline if employees get hospitalized or die.
Also, it’s bad for people to die from something preventable.
The relative risk of any serious issues from COVID vs the vaccine is like 10,000x higher for COVID. Not to mention higher chance of long COVID symptoms.
It’s about minimizing risk, not eliminating risk, and vaccines do just that, they were never expected to provide some sort of 100% force field protection. It’s kind of amazing how good they are at preventing symptoms completely not to mention preventing hospitalization or death.
This is a decent approach from Frontier!
Let's see what happens in the world once the Epsilom, Lambda, many others (monthly new ones arrive from the source) all the way up to Omega "variants" take hold.
Let's see how many on here will see their penny drop as to what's really underway, or will do they just keep arguing against their fellow humans, and humanity as a whole. Look up!
You've all seen nothing...
This is a decent approach from Frontier!
Let's see what happens in the world once the Epsilom, Lambda, many others (monthly new ones arrive from the source) all the way up to Omega "variants" take hold.
Let's see how many on here will see their penny drop as to what's really underway, or will do they just keep arguing against their fellow humans, and humanity as a whole. Look up!
You've all seen nothing yet...and are not focusing on being decent. Be decent, be kind...even when others have a vastly different opinion. It's hard for some (yes we all fail from time to time) and yet for others, battering down others is a full time sport with the name calling. Sad!
There is no going back to normal. Never happening, it actually can't - completely impossible, and when that penny drops it will be understood.
In the meantime, at least one airline is acting decent for now :-)
1. Vaccinated people are much less likely to get COVID. Therefore less likely to spread COVID. That should be enough. But if that is not enough...
2. Vaccinated people are much less like to go the hospital with COVID, using valuable resources that can be used elsewhere. But if that is not enough...
3. Vaccinated people that go to the hospital spend on average 1-2 days in the hospital while unvaccinated people spend...
1. Vaccinated people are much less likely to get COVID. Therefore less likely to spread COVID. That should be enough. But if that is not enough...
2. Vaccinated people are much less like to go the hospital with COVID, using valuable resources that can be used elsewhere. But if that is not enough...
3. Vaccinated people that go to the hospital spend on average 1-2 days in the hospital while unvaccinated people spend 5 or more days. But if that is not enough...
If that is not enough...
90% of all cases are unvaccinated people.
95% of all ICU cases are unvaccinated people.
99% of all COVID deaths are unvaccinated people.
Will these percentages change over time? Sure but they will stay very high.
If that does not answer your question/convince you, nothing will.
No, it’s not a real question. It’s talking points from the anti-vax echo chamber.
You’re either an idiot, or cynically parroting the echo chamber. Either way, you’re not looking for an “answer”.
Queue the armchair lawyers who say this is illegal, against HIPAA, the vaccines aren't fully approved yet, etc.
GMAFB. Good for these airlines. If employees quit and the airlines suffer, oh well. That's capitalism.
Legality, it's going to be a long fight since dozens of these will soon pop up.
I do agree with Frontiers' method of circumventing this as few others have used this approach too.
You keep penetrating their noses until they quit or get a shot.
I recently talked to someone who claimed to have his nosed swab for almost 100 times since last year and he's had enough of it. (but doesn't quit yet haha)