Boost to IT employees: Infosys & Accenture to cover COVID vaccination cost for staff, kin

IT giant Infosys and consulting and outsourcing services provider Accenture on Wednesday said they will cover COVID vaccination costs of their employees and their immediate kin in India.

"Infosys is looking at partnering with healthcare providers to vaccinate employees and their immediate families as eligible under the guidelines given by the Government of India and as per approved procedures and timelines," Infosys Chief Operating Officer Pravin Rao said in an emailed statement. The company will cover the vaccination cost for the employees and their immediate family members as part of our focus on health and wellness, he added.

Rekha M Menon, Chairperson and Senior Managing Director of Accenture in India said the company has continued to monitor and consider the guidance of external experts and groups, including international health organisations and local health authorities.

"Based on this, we strongly support the scientific and public health advice that encourages vaccination... for our people who are eligible and choose to receive the COVID-19 vaccination, Accenture in India will cover the cost for the employee and their dependents who are part of our medical benefits program," news agency PTI quoted Menon as saying.

According to media reports, India’s largest IT firm TCS is also likely to cover COVID-19 vaccination costs for its employees following its peers Infosys and Accenture.

'Just awaiting permission' 

Several companies, including Mahindra Group and consumer goods giant ITC Ltd, had already started considering buying COVID-19 vaccines for their employees as early as January. On Wednesday, Anand Mahindra responded to a tweet by Brand Guru Suhel Seth who asked India's top 1000 companies to cover costs of the Covid-19 vaccine for their employees by saying, 
"We made this offer quite a while ago. Just awaiting permission. Should come soon."

Infosys co-founders N R Narayana Murthy and Kris Gopalakrishnan, and Kotak Mahindra Bank MD and CEO Uday Kotak, are among the business leaders who have received the vaccination.

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People above 60 years of age and those in the 45-59 age bracket with comorbidities are being immunised in the second phase of nationwide vaccination that started on March 1. More than 1.56 crore vaccine doses were administered in the country through 3,12,188 sessions, according to a provisional report till Wednesday at 7 am.

The beneficiaries include 67,42,187 healthcare workers (first dose), 27,13,144 HCWs (second dose), 55,70,230 FLWs or frontline workers (first dose), 834 FLWs (second dose), 71,896 people aged more than 45 years with specific co-morbidities (first dose) and 5,22,458 beneficiaries aged above 60 years.

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(With PTI inputs)