Line workers in red meat plants were disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 during the first half of 2020. Now that more vaccine is available, innunization campaigns are proceeding at a rapid rate as determined by state and county priorities. In six states food processing workers are regarded in a priority category, but then only in specific counties. Eligibility for vaccination is sanctioned in part in at least twenty-six states.
During the past week, workers at the JBS Worthington, MN. pork plant received vaccines with the company facilitating administration and offering a $100 incentive bonus. It is evident that unions are important in motivating workers to receive vaccination. United Food and Commercial Workers Local 663 actively campaigned for vaccination and signed up 1,500 of the 1,850 members. Matt Utecht of the UFCW, quoted in The New York Times commented, "it's been a daily grind of educating, talking, and communicating".
As additional vaccines including the two mRNA products from Pfizer and Moderna and the adenovirus-vectored J&J vaccine become available, more priority groups are becoming eligible for immunization. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determined that 80 million people had received at least one dose of vaccine by March 21st with 43 million having been completely vaccinated. The 
rate of administration has increased steadily and is now between 2.5 and 3.0 million doses per day.
Due to close proximity of workers in plants, it is justified to select vaccine for this priority population since immunization will contribute to lower rates of infection in communities where plants are located. The quicker that large groups of workers can be vaccinated, the less likely is the possibility of emergence of variants which may be more infectious and pathogenic.
It is indeed regrettable that the U.S. is operating under a patchwork of priorities where even counties in the same state have different policies. It is commendable that owners of large packing and processing plants are organizing mass vaccination of their workers.