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Pierce County offers employees extra vacation time to encourage more vaccinations

Registered nurse Nancy Thompkins loads a syringe with the Moderna vaccine at one of the drive-thru bays at Pierce County’s first free mass immunization clinic held Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021 at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood. The vaccine requires a second booster shot four weeks later.
Registered nurse Nancy Thompkins loads a syringe with the Moderna vaccine at one of the drive-thru bays at Pierce County’s first free mass immunization clinic held Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021 at Clover Park Technical College in Lakewood. The vaccine requires a second booster shot four weeks later.

To encourage vaccinations as the Delta variant of COVID-19 sparks a local surge in cases, Pierce County leaders announced Friday via email that county employees can get four extra hours of vacation leave if they choose to get vaccinated no later than Oct. 15.

Those who are already fully vaccinated qualify for the benefit, authorized by County Executive Bruce Dammeier, according to the email. Those who have yet to receive their shots can use the extra four hours to schedule a vaccination appointment and “alleviate concerns about time off” if they get a reaction.

Employees must be eligible to collect vacation time in order to qualify for the benefit, according to the email. They must also show their vaccination card to their manager through an online meeting or in-person.

The extra hours may be used at any time as long as both the employee and manager agree, according to the email.

This story was originally published August 7, 2021 at 10:32 AM.

Angelica Relente
The News Tribune
Angelica Relente covers topics that affect communities in East Pierce County. She started as a news intern in June 2021 after graduating from Washington State University. She is also a member of Seattle’s Asian American Journalists Association. She was born in the Philippines and spent the rest of her childhood in Hawaii.
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