Amazon Hosts Multi-Day Vaccination Event For Employees

SPRINGFIELD, VA — Friday was more than a regular day coming into work for Amazon employee Brenda Diaz. Before her shift started at the DDC3 delivery station in Springfield, Diaz was one of the employees who got the COVID-19 vaccine.

Friday was the start of a six-day vaccination event held by Amazon at the DDC3 delivery station on Industrial Road. Employees and their families from 25 facilities in Northern Virginia, including Amazon fulfillment centers, Amazon Web Services data centers, and Whole Foods Market, were invited to schedule a vaccine appointment at the event. Amazon and Whole Foods workers have played a role in helping provide products and services to people who stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly those at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19.

CVS Pharmacy provided vaccinations at the kickoff Friday. Employees that receive the vaccine during the multi-day event will get to return in several weeks for their second dose at the same location.

Amazon first started offering on-site vaccinations for frontline employees nearly a month ago. That effort has expanded to 29 states, aiming to help ease the burden on community-run vaccination clinics. Amazon also opened up its second headquarters space in the Crystal City area of Arlington for a vaccination clinic in partnership with the county.

The DDC3 vaccination event allowed Diaz to follow in the footsteps of her brother, a construction worker, in getting vaccinated. She hopes things can get back to normal with the vaccines and is most looking forward to attending concerts again.

For those hesitant to receive the vaccine, she encouraged them to think ahead to a return to normalcy and know the procedures vaccines go through.

"It feels good to know that I'm helping out with keeping the people I work with safe and myself," said Diaz.