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ArcelorMittal, Luxair and CFL, some of the largest employers in the country, could offer covid-19 vaccination campaigns to their employees once the vaccine is available to the wider public. Photo: SIP/Emmanuel Claude 

It will most likely take at least until spring 2021 before the vaccine will be available to the wider public. At the moment, Luxembourg, like many countries, has decided to give priority to health professionals and those working or living in care homes.

However, when possible, some companies say they are open to launching their own in-house vaccine campaigns, such as ArcelorMittal. "We are pretty much ready, we are waiting for information from the ministry of health," a spokesperson said. The covid-19 vaccine could normally follow the same pattern as that organized annually for the company’s 3,900 employees against the influenza. "We offer staff to come to one of the different infirmaries during shift hours,” he explains, adding that "it will also depend on the type of vaccine we receive and how easy it is to handle."

The importance of raising awareness

The CFL also says that it is "ready to act". "Our company is able to carry out vaccinations in-house, as we have an occupational health department that also takes care of the influenza vaccinations every year. We are currently waiting for further information, such as the delivery times of the various vaccines, future government decisions, and especially the availability of vaccines that can be administered in a doctors' office."

The Luxembourg National Railway Company emphasizes that "vaccination will of course not be mandatory." But "a large amount of awareness work will be done with our employees before the vaccination campaign. Given the size of our company, we will be able to contribute to the national pandemic strategy," says the railway, which employs 4,510 people.

Luxair (2,950 employees) also says that it will "encourage vaccination of its staff and invite employees to take advantage of it as soon as possible." Regarding the technical details, the airline states that it is "willing to allow the competent authorities to vaccinate employees at Luxair's sites."

Several companies are waiting 

Other companies are waiting for recommendations from the ministry of health, such as Post Luxembourg (4,650 employees), "making every effort to guarantee strict compliance with the recommendations and health measures of the authorities and trying to meet the related requirements."

However, most of the other companies contacted by Delano’s sister publication Paperjam had not yet considered the possibility of a vaccination campaign. This is the case for Renault Luxembourg, even though, on the French side, the car manufacturer says it has launched a thinktank on the subject. "France often works one way and Luxembourg another," the company explains. The same goes for the law firm Arendt, even if it previously already offered PCR tests for employees on its website.

This article was originally published in French on Paperjam.lu and has been translated and edited for Delano.