United Airlines Now Requires New Hires To Be Fully Vaccinated

United Airlines announced it will start requiring new hires to show proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, a move similar to what Delta Air Lines enacted in early May.

Candidates with job offers made after June 15 are now required to upload their vaccination cards into the Chicago-based company’s system by their start date. This will serve as proof that they are fully vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines “fully vaccinated” as being two weeks removed from the second shot of the Pfizer/BioNTech or Moderna vaccines or two weeks after receiving the single-dose COVID-19 vaccine by Johnson & Johnson.

"As we welcome new employees to the company, it's important we instill in them United's strong commitment to safety. As part of this commitment, effective for all job offers made after June 15, 2021, we will require any external candidates for U.S.-based jobs to attest that they have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by their start date," United Airlines said in a memo to employees.

The Chicago-based airline is also offering three additional days of vacation to flight attendants who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by June 9, a recent agreement read.

Last week, the company announced that it was giving an additional 13 hours of pay to pilots who show their vaccination cards.

"Having these records in place allows United to meet these requirements quickly and efficiently and maintain a competitive advantage within the industry while ensuring each of us can continue to fly our awarded schedules without interruption," The Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) wrote in a press release, according to Fox Business.

In May, Delta Airlines began requiring new employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, other airlines, including American Airlines, said it will not require its workers to get the shots.

"We are strongly encouraging team members to get vaccinated and offering an incentive for those who do,” a spokesperson for American Airlines told CBS News. “But we do not plan to require the vaccine unless it's mandatory for entry into certain destinations."