Amgen to Require Vaccination for All Staff

Amgen Inc. will require that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Nov. 1, the Thousand Oaks company announced earlier this week.The requirement covers both field and remote staff in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.“One of our Amgen Values is to Be Science-Based,” Amgen states in its COVID-19 FAQ page. “The scientific evidence overwhelmingly shows that widespread vaccination is the most effective measure to protect our staff, our families and our communities from serious illness and limit the spread of COVID-19.”According to Amgen, most of its employees have already received their vaccinations.The biotech giant’s vaccination requirement will not apply to staff residing in jurisdictions where it is prohibited by law. Reasonable accommodation will be given to those who are unable to receive the vaccine due to qualifying religious or medical reasons.Amgen’s employee number sits at 24,300 as of May according to Forbes, with 5,574 in the Valley region, according to information submitted for the Business Journal’s list of Private-Sector Employers last year.Shares of Amgen (AMGN) closed Friday down 86 cents, or a fraction of a percent, to $223.53 on the Nasdaq, a market that closed up more than 1 percent.