Coronavirus COVID-19 virus modelWhen the COVID-19 pandemic materialized, one sector hard-hit was the meatpacking industry, with plant workers idled, made ill or passing away from the virus and frantic industry steps to sustain the supply chain as live animal stocks mounted and plant output slowed or stopped altogether. In an effort to prevent that from happening again in the future, JBS is soon beginning a “massive rollout” of COVID-19 vaccines for plant workers based on the federal effort to protect frontline essential workers from getting infected and becoming ill. Leaders at the company and the North American Meat Institute say the effort will take “several weeks” and will begin with the vaccinations of small groups of employees to ensure no adverse side effects. The move comes as some processors are adjusting output to account for idled and quarantining workers; for example, fewer deboned hams than normal have entered the supply chain because of adjustments at the packing plant level. See more about the vaccination effort.