As one of the top-of-mind food brands in the Philippines, KFC has made the vaccination of its employees its foremost priority and undertook months of extensive preparation to ensure the inoculation of its staff, which began July 23, would run smoothly.
“Corporate citizenship in this time of pandemic is about being an active participant in the multi-stakeholder efforts to speed up herd immunity and economic recovery, knowing that we can only feel safe once everyone is protected via vaccination,” said KFC Philippines General Manager Jojo Marcelo.
“This is why KFC did everything it could since last year—from the procurement of vaccines to the education of its employees—to ensure we are doing our share in providing convenient and free access to COVID-19 vaccines to our people, especially the economic frontliners,” she added.
The company, in line with the directives from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases, prioritized its elderly staff, those with comorbidities, and frontline personnel in the vaccination.
Marcelo said as early as November last year, KFC Philippines has been coordinating the purchase of vaccines via Go Negosyo's tripartite agreement with AstraZeneca and the government.
“We purchased additional vaccines during the first quarter of 2021. Nearing the vaccine administration, we started an info campaign to encourage employees and educate them on the importance of getting vaccinated via our internal Facebook community, where we featured testimonials of leaders who have already been vaccinated,” she said.
Vaccination sites were set up at KFC’s head office in Roces, Quezon City.
Employees of KFC Philippines also received flu shots two weeks before their COVID-19 vaccination schedule. The company provides free flu vaccines annually to protect them from the disease, especially during the rainy season.
While waiting for the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccines, the company instituted numerous initiatives to safeguard the health and safety of its employees and customers as part of its “Safe with KFC” thrust.
KFC Philippines implemented stricter health and safety protocols in all its stores nationwide as prescribed by the government, including the wearing of face masks and face shields, physical distancing, and frequent washing of hands among its staff.
KFC is also strictly implementing its contactless delivery protocol wherein its riders are mandated to place the orders at specified spots and then step back to observe social distancing and keep the customers safe as they receive their KFC favorites. There are also cashless payment options for dine-in, takeout, drive-thru, and delivery channels.