West Liberty Foods first manufacturing plant in Muscatine County to get vaccines

Johnson & Johnson shots offered to 1,100 employees Friday

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“It was a great experience. It was more efficient that we expected.”

That’s the comment Brian Melhus, assistant general council for West Liberty Foods had to say as nearly all 1,100 employees of West Liberty Foods received a single dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Friday.

It was the first and largest mass inoculation clinic for the vaccine in Muscatine County and the first to be administered at a manufacturing site in the county.

All employees were offered the newly released Johnson & Johnson vaccines that have been proven to be over 70 percent effective against getting the virus.

Melhus said he’d been working with Iowa Public Health as well as Muscatine Public Health for weeks on trying to set up a vaccination clinic for the employees of the plant, many who work side-by-side on the production line in creating turkey products for nationwide distribution.

He said the plant was allotted about 1,200 doses, but didn’t expect to use them all as leftovers would go to the Heinz plant employees in Muscatine.

“We’re very thankful they chose us and that we’re part of the program,” said Melhus. He said the employees were all excited about getting the vaccinations and noted the “overwhelming majority” of employees took advantage of the free shots, which were distributed by six nurses outside the plant in a parking lot tent make-shift facility.

The process was simple – show up, prove you’re an employee of the plant, and you get a shot. Stick around for 15 minutes to make sure there’s no after effects and you’re good to go. Melhus said the hardest part was making sure the logistics were right while the plant maintained full operation. “It was a feat, but thanks to Muscatine County Health, it’s going very well,” he said.

Melhus was happy to be able to provide the vaccines for all the employees whether they worked Friday or not, many coming in on their day off. He said there had been no employee reporting side effects that morning.

Holly Barrett of the Health Department organized the operation, noting there were two shifts of nurses lined up to provide the vaccinations in order to provide the doses for all 1,100 employees. She said many of the employees were happy to hear it was the Johnson & Johnson single-shot vaccine, making it quick and easy.

“It’s so much easier and a smoother process,” said Barrett, noting the one-shot dose is a blessing when dealing with a mass inoculation clinic for a manufacturing site. “It’s a huge plus,” she said.

Jorge Gonzalez of West Liberty was one of the first to get his vaccine in the afternoon after 650 were inoculated in the morning shift. “I do feel safer now,” he said in Spanish, noting he wanted to take the shot to feel more safe around other employees.

Another employee, Tory Meltzer of West Liberty, was a little more cautious, pointing out he studied what he was putting into his body before he decided to commit to the vaccination. “The needle hurt a little bit, but outside of that, it went fine,” he said., pointing out the fact it was “readily available” was a big plus, noting he wanted to take the vaccine to “protect my family.” noting he has three young children.

“We are just glad to have the opportunity to offer our team members vaccinations, said plant manager Tom Alberti.

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