Since early 2020, Starbucks has adhered to three guiding principles for navigating the pandemic:

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① Prioritizing the health and well-being of our partners and customers ② Playing a constructive role in supporting health and government officials as they work to mitigate the spread of this virus ③ Showing up in a positive and responsible way to serve our communities

As we take stock of our journey to this point, we’ve created a chronological timeline that outlines some of the major standards and policies we’ve put in place to protect our partners and customers. We will continue to heed the advice of public health experts and make decisions based on sound science.&nbsp;&nbsp;

If you’d prefer a summary of our actions throughout the course of the pandemic, please see <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/response-to-covid/" data-type="story_category" data-id="3142">Our Response to COVID-19</a>.

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Mar. 4, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/navigating-through-covid-19/" target="_blank">Starbucks outlines precautionary steps during COVID-19 outbreak</a>

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Mar. 5, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/one-global-companys-bold-steps-to-navigate-covid-19-in-china-and-the-lessons-learned/" target="_blank">Navigating COVID-19 in China and lessons learned</a> Starbucks U.S. leverages lessons from Starbucks China on dealing with the early days of COVID-19.

Mar. 6, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/letter-to-partners-update-on-covid-19-preparedness/" target="_blank">Putting into action care and concern for partners and customers</a> Letter from Rosann Williams, executive vice president and president North America for Starbucks, details processes and protocols following first confirmed case in a Starbucks store.

Mar. 9, 2020 Starbucks joins Seattle business and community leaders to provide support and resources through COVID-19 Starbucks joins COVID-19 Response Fund in Seattle to rapidly deploy resources to local organizations on the frontlines of the outbreak. Commits more than $2.5 million, including $250,000 from The Starbucks Foundation.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Mar. 11, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/letter-to-partners-caring-for-starbucks-partners-during-covid-19/" target="_blank">Caring for Starbucks partners during COVID-19</a> In addition to existing benefits, Starbucks announces additional mental health support and catastrophe pay for employees exposed or diagnosed with COVID-19.&nbsp;Benefit is 14 days.

Mar. 11, 2020 Kevin Johnson, Starbucks ceo, outlines steps company is taking for health of customers, partners and community Starbucks announces stores are prepared to modify operations on a case-by-case, community-by-community, store-by-store basis – including store closure and limited seating – based on partner safety and local directives.&nbsp;

Mar. 15, 2020 Starbucks will temporarily change to a “to go” model in U.S. and Canada stores Starbucks implements social distancing in stores and moves to a “to go” model for at least two weeks in U.S. and Canada.&nbsp;

Mar. 16, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/starbucks-transforms-mental-health-benefit-for-us-employees/" target="_blank">Starbucks Transforms Mental Health Benefit for U.S. Employees</a> Starbucks announces new mental health care benefit in partnership with Lyra Health, which enables U.S. partners to receive up to 20 free therapy sessions.

Mar. 20, 2020 Starbucks temporarily moves to primarily drive-thru-only in U.S., confirms expanded catastrophe pay for worried partners Starbucks closes access to cafes and reduces service to drive-thru and delivery only for two weeks in the U.S. Exceptions are made for cafes serving in or around hospitals and health care centers.&nbsp;

Mar. 22, 2020 Update on how Starbucks is supporting partners and communities during COVID-19 During two-week closure, Starbucks drive-thru stores stayed open and partners showed up to support each other. Starbucks Service Pay introduced for partners who choose to continue coming to work.&nbsp;

Mar. 22, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/a-time-for-resilience/" target="_blank">A </a><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/a-time-for-resilience/" target="_blank">message from Starbucks ceo Kevin Johnson: A time for resilience</a> Starbucks ceo Kevin Johnson recognizes the gravity of the times in a letter to partners and customers, committing to pay all Starbucks U.S. and Canada retail partners for 30 days, whether or not they come to work.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“No partner should have to choose between work and their health,” he said.

Mar. 22, 2020 Message from Rossann Williams: Providing additional COVID-19 Partner Care In a letter to partners, Rossann Williams announces Starbucks Service Pay, an additional $3 per hour for shifts worked as scheduled, and a new temporary food benefit and partner discount.&nbsp;

Mar. 25, 2020 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-bring-coffee-and-comfort-to-covid-19-front-line-responders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks offers free coffee to front-line responders</a> Starbucks announced it will offer free coffee to front line responders through May 3, 2020. In addition, The Starbucks Foundation donates $500,000 to support front-line responders.&nbsp;

Apr. 1, 2020 Starbucks Playbook for Navigating COVID-19 Company establishes three guiding principles for navigating the pandemic:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Apr. 1, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/the-starbucks-foundation-donates-more-than-3m-to-global-covid-19-relief-efforts/" target="_blank">Using our scale for good around the world during extraordinary times</a> The Starbucks Foundation donates more than $3 million to support global COVID-19 relief efforts around the world, designed to partner with key organizations in order to ensure those who need the most help get it.&nbsp;

Also, all temporary benefits for Starbucks partners extended through May 3. Thermometers provided in all stores.

Apr. 8, 2020 Taking care of Starbucks partners around the world through emergency relief Starbucks contributes $10 million to establish the new Starbucks Global Partner Emergency Relief Program for partners facing extreme hardship as a result of COVID-19.&nbsp;

Apr. 8, 2020 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/starbucks-provides-update-on-recovery-in-china-impact-of-covid-19-on-us-business/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Starbucks provides update on recovery in China, impact of COVID-19 on U.S. Business</a> In an open stakeholder letter from ceo Kevin Johnson and cfo Pat Grismer filed as an 8-K, the company provided an update on business recovery in China, the impact COVID-19 has had on U.S. business and how it is well positioned financially to weather this crisis. The company remains optimistic about Starbucks resilience and is confident it will emerge from this crisis stronger than before. &nbsp;

Apr. 16, 2020 Starbucks shares how it's prepared to "monitor and adapt" the customer experience through COVID-19 In a letter to partners, Kevin Johnson outlined the company’s transition to a new phase of operations in the U.S., best described as “monitor and adapt,” based on experience in China during COVID-19. As was the case in China, Starbucks will gradually expand and shift the customer experiences in stores based on a clear decision-making framework.

Apr. 16, 2020 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/a-letter-to-partners-partner-care-as-we-rebuild-from-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A letter to partners: Comprehensive partner care as we adapt to COVID-19</a> In a letter to partners, Rossann Williams shares that many stores will reopen on May 4, Starbucks will extend Service Pay through the end of May and extend catastrophe pay.&nbsp;

Apr. 16, 2020 Starbucks Joins in the Efforts to Support Food Banks in the U.S. and Canada Starbucks announced additional efforts to support food banks in the U.S. and Canada as they struggle to meet the increased demand, shortages in food donations and logistical complexities related to their operations. &nbsp;&nbsp;

To date, The Starbucks Foundation has donated over $5.5 million to support global COVID-19 response efforts.

Apr. 16, 2020 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-offer-support-to-frontline-workers-across-asia/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-offer-support-to-frontline-workers-across-asia/">Starbucks partners offer support to frontline workers across Asia, donating free food and beverage</a><a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-offer-support-to-frontline-workers-across-asia/" data-type="URL" data-id="https://stories.starbucks.com/asia/stories/2020/starbucks-partners-offer-support-to-frontline-workers-across-asia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">s</a>

Apr. 29, 2020 More stores to welcome customers – here’s what to expect Starbucks prepares customers for a new experience, focusing on the ability to use the Starbucks App to order and pay ahead of time and then pick up the order in drive-thrus. Grab-and-go also introduced, as well as Starbucks Delivers via Uber Eats.

May 4, 2020 The Third Place: Needed Now More than Ever In a letter from the ceo, Starbucks announces plans to responsibly reopen more than 85 percent of company-operated stores by May 9 across the U.S. The Third Place concept shifts from physical space to mindset as communities seek to reconnect and heal.

May 18, 2020 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2020/the-starbucks-foundation-teams-with-john-krasinski-some-good-news/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Starbucks Foundation teams with John Krasinski’s Some Good News</a> The Starbucks Foundation teams up with John Krasinski’s Some Good News to announce Some Good Merch, with Starbucks matching the first $1 million in proceeds for COVID-19 relief efforts.&nbsp;

May 21, 2020 Building a Bridge to Our Future Leadership letters to partners reiterate the need for Starbucks to be prepared as the public comes out of isolation and people crave connection and community. Launch multifaceted ad campaign designed to help customers find stores, check hours and use contactless payment. Hours and operations continue to be modified.

May 26, 2020 Letter from Rossann: A letter to partners: Partner care as we rebuild from COVID-19 Starbucks implements a new COVID-19 Leave of Absence policy for partners who prefer to take an unpaid leave through Sept. 30 and accrue up to 30 hours per week toward benefits eligibility.

May 28, 2020 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/the-starbucks-foundation-supporting-community-response-and-resilience-during-covid-19/" target="_blank">The Starbucks Foundation: Supporting Community Response and Resilience during COVID-19</a> The Starbucks Foundation distributes more than $1 million to more than 400 local organizations across the U.S. and Canada to support COVID-19 community response, inspired and informed by Starbucks partners.&nbsp;

Supporting coffee-growing communities: The&nbsp;Starbucks Foundation has donated $1 million to Mercy Corps to support COVID-19 prevention communication and extend urgently needed direct support across coffee and tea farming communities in Indonesia, Colombia, Guatemala, India and Ethiopia. To prevent transmission and protect lives and livelihoods, Mercy Corps is providing hygiene supplies as well as vouchers, clean water filters and other assistance to vulnerable families during this crisis. These efforts have reached more than 200,000 people to date.

Jun. 10, 2020 Restore and Build Resilience: Elevating the Customer and Partner Experience Starbucks releases “Bridge to the Future” vision to stakeholders, including specifics on how the company is transforming customer and partner experience during the pandemic.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jul. 9, 2020 Protecting Partners and Customers – An Update on Facial Coverings Facial coverings required in all company owned locations in the U.S. In select locations without mandates, customers not wearing facial coverings can order at the drive-thru, do curbside pickup or place an order for delivery. Recommit to playing a constructive role in supporting health and government officials and mitigating the spread of COVID-19. Release of “At-a-Glance” guide for customers.

Jul. 17, 2020 Starbucks ceo discusses the company’s playbook for navigating COVID-19 Kevin Johnson joins national Retail Federation to discuss Starbucks response to the pandemic and ongoing evolution of Third Place. He reiterates learnings from China, mask policy, and how Starbucks is navigating the next phase.

Jan. 5, 2021 Starbucks gives 2.2M cups of free coffee to front-line responders in December &nbsp; Starbucks update in midst of winter surge:&nbsp;&nbsp;

Since March 2020, The Starbucks Foundation has donated more than $1 million to support front-line responders, including delivery of personal protective equipment, essential medical items, care packages and handwritten letters and support for emergency assistance including mental health resources for first responders and health care workers. Since the start of COVID-19, Starbucks has provided:&nbsp;

Jan. 18, 2021 Starbucks Joins the Washington State Vaccine Command and Coordination Center (WSVCCC) Starbucks joins the Washington State Vaccine Command and Coordination Center (WSVCCC), a new statewide public-private partnership to boost vaccine distribution efforts established by Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and the Washington Department of Health. Partners from across the company join the humanitarian effort.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Feb. 8, 2021 Starbucks Offers Vaccine Pay and Expanded COVID-19 Benefits for Partners Ongoing safety protocols in every store + updated policies:&nbsp;

Feb. 8, 2021 Starbucks begins developing a vaccine campaign with partners focusing on education, engagement, empowerment and enablement The company also hosted educational sessions on vaccines with Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center.

Mar. 8, 2021 Hardship grants for partners announced Another resource available to partners is the company’s CUP Fund, which provides grants for partners experiencing financial hardships. Starting March 8, 2021, partners can apply for an expedited 2021 COVID-19 CUP Fund grant for certain financial hardship needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, up to $500.

Apr. 18, 2021 Starbucks launches vaccine "make your plan" resources for partners to help them find vaccine locations in their community

Apr. 19, 2021 <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2021/starbucks-support-of-safe-and-equitable-vaccine-distribution/" target="_blank">Starbucks Support of Safe and Equitable Vaccine Distribution</a> Starbucks offers up to 4 hours of paid time off if partners experience vaccine-related side effects and miss a scheduled shift within 48 hours of receiving each dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, up to two doses. (This is in addition to offering two hours of paid time off per dose for partners who choose to get the COVID-19 vaccine, up to two doses.) The company offers online tools for partners, as well as their friends and family, to create their vaccine plan and easily access state-by-state vaccine distribution and availability information.&nbsp;

In addition, the company has made several investments in innovative programs that help increase safe and equitable access to vaccines, including a $250,000 donation to help fund Team Rubicon’s mobile vaccination site pilots, as well as a total of $50,000 to local Seattle-area hospitals Swedish and UW Medicine to support their efforts to deliver vaccines directly to underserved communities.

Apr. 30, 2021 Starbucks support for India's COVID-19 response Starbucks announces support for partners in India:&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jun. 21, 2021 Starbucks provides stores with a toolkit on how to partner with community organizations to host popup vaccine events

Oct. 18, 2021 Starbucks launches internal weekly COVID-19 updates to U.S. store managers As Delta surges and large businesses anticipate a mandate from the federal government requiring all employees get vaccinated, Starbucks launches internal weekly COVID-19 updates to U.S. store managers and an email account for partners to ask outstanding questions. The Q&amp;A is released weekly and reflects a fluid situation.

Nov. 1, 2021 Booster Pay information shared with partners All U.S. store partners who self-disclosed their vaccine information are eligible to receive 2 hours of paid time off for their vaccine booster shot.

Jan. 4, 2022 <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2022/letter-to-starbucks-partners-vaccines-testing-and-supporting-you-in-next-phase-of-covid-19/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Letter to Starbucks partners: Vaccines, testing and supporting you in next phase of COVID-19</a> The Supreme Court strikes down the OSHA ETS vaccine mandate. Starbucks continues to provide guidance on safety measures, empowering store managers to make the best decisions in their local communities in accordance with local regulations.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Jan. 10, 2022 Starbucks Support Center begins reopening in waves Starbucks Support Center, which had been closed (except to office dependent partners (employees) since spring of 2020, reopens in waves, with safety precautions in mind. All non-retail domestic and international air travel will continue to require written evp approval during this period.&nbsp;

As we take stock of our journey to this point, we’ve created a chronological timeline that outlines some of the major standards and policies we’ve put in place to protect our partners and customers. We will continue to heed the advice of public health experts and make decisions based on sound science. 

Timeline: Starbucks COVID-19 Milestones

Stories to inspire and nurture the human spirit

Starbucks Stories

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Timeline: Starbucks COVID-19 Milestones 

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Updated January 18, 2022

Starbucks is taking a number of actions to protect the health and well-being of our customers and partners (employees) and to control the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in accordance with the expert guidance of the CDC and local public health authorities. Read below for an at-a-glance overview and, for additional details on how Starbucks is navigating through COVID-19, visit our <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/navigating-through-covid-19/">blog</a>.

Starbucks is offering full support with comprehensive care to our partners impacted by COVID-19, including vaccine pay, catastrophe pay, mental health and sick pay benefits, childcare support and more. If you are a Starbucks partner (employee), get the latest information about your benefits <a href="https://departments.starbucks.com/sites/prepare/Pages/Partner-Care-and-Store-Resources-to-Help-Navigate-COVID-19.aspx">here</a>.

Your Starbucks Experience may look different as we navigate this dynamic situation community-by-community and store-by-store. Our commitment to you is that we will continue to make proactive decisions that are grounded in transparency and science – for our partners and the people we serve. We continue to closely monitor guidance from local and national health authorities and will update our procedures as needed to adhere to the most effective health and safety standards. To find a store that is open near you, visit the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/store-locator">store locator on Starbucks.com</a> or the <a href="https://www.starbucks.com/coffeehouse/mobile-apps">Starbucks app</a> for locations and hours.

We are dedicated to serving our communities in a constructive role through the lens of Our Mission and Values: to inspire and nurture the human spirit – one person, one cup and one neighborhood at a time.

Primary Entry

Starbucks is taking a number of actions to protect the health and well-being of our partners and customers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Here’s what customers need to know.

What customers need to know about Starbucks response to COVID-19

At a glance: What you need to know about Starbucks response to COVID-19

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At a glance: What customers need to know about Starbucks response to COVID-19

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I recognize that partners have a wide spectrum of views on vaccinations, much like the rest of the country. I also know we all want the best for every Starbucks partner. My responsibility, and that of every leader, is to do whatever we can to help keep you safe and to create the safest work environment possible, wrote Starbucks chief operating officer John Culver.

Since we first began navigating COVID-19, we have been transparent with you about the steps we are taking to care for your health and safety. As we look ahead, you have our commitment that we will continue to make decisions through the lens of our three guiding principles:

As I watch the news of the Omicron variant, which is now dominant in the U.S. and spreading faster than any variant yet, it’s concerning to see this new variant has pushed daily COVID-19 case counts higher than the Delta wave at its peak. Although there are breakthrough cases, public health and medical experts say that people who are vaccinated will likely experience mild symptoms, while those not vaccinated are significantly more likely to become seriously ill, be hospitalized or die. I recognize that partners have a wide spectrum of views on vaccinations, much like the rest of the country. I also know we all want the best for every Starbucks partner. My responsibility, and that of every leader, is to do whatever we can to help keep you safe and to create the safest work environment possible.

The vaccine is the best option we have, by far, when it comes to staying safe and slowing the spread of COVID-19. Last week a federal appeals court ruled the Occupational Safety &amp; Health Administration’s (OSHA) emergency temporary standard (ETS) on COVID-19 vaccination and testing could continue. As a result, OSHA has now set a new compliance date of Feb. 9, 2022 for large employers, including Starbucks, to implement and enforce a policy that requires employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 or to submit to weekly COVID-19 testing and wear a facial covering. In continuing our commitment to prioritizing partner care and safety through COVID-19, this means:=

Here is how we will navigate this next phase together in compliance with the ETS:

Our First Step: Disclosure

To help manage this process, all U.S. partners need to disclose their vaccination status by Jan. 10. This is a requirement under the ETS, and disclosing your status is the only way we can know who needs to test or not. There are many options, including if you are unvaccinated for religious, medical or personal reasons. Partners who decline to disclose or choose not to answer will be treated as unvaccinated.

Making the Right Plan, for Right Now

As with every decision throughout this pandemic, we first looked at the facts, science and public health guidance. We also participated in listening sessions with partners, as well as read your comments on Workplace and the Partner Hub on this topic. To better understand the experience for partners, we went as far as to pilot a COVID-19 testing option in a locally mandated market. And in trying to explore all possibilities for partners, it became clear there is no “perfect” option, and every scenario has its own complexities. I believe the plan that we’ve landed on is ultimately the right plan, for right now. This is an important step we can take to help more partners get vaccinated, limit the spread of COVID-19, and create choices that partners can own based on what’s best for them. More information will be available in early January to support you in making the best choice and the best plan for yourself.

As we move forward, I ask that we all listen openly and connect with one another with respect and kindness. If vaccination rates rise and community spread slows, we will adapt accordingly. But if things get worse, we may have to consider additional measures. For now, my hope is that we will all do our part to protect one another. That means getting vaccinated if you can, reinforcing our safety protocols, and as always, being flexible with operations, where needed. In the coming weeks, we will host partner forums to share additional information with you, as well as provide an opportunity for you to ask questions.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to working together to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure that Starbucks continues to be a safe place for all of us and the communities we serve.

My responsibility, and that of every leader, is to do whatever we can to help keep you safe and to create the safest work environment possible.

Letter to Starbucks partners: Vaccines, testing and supporting you in next phase of COVID-19

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My responsibility, and that of every leader, is to do whatever we can to help keep you safe and to create the safest work environment possible, wrote Starbucks chief operating officer John Culver.

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The Starbucks store manager wasn’t sure she was going to take a vaccine for COVID-19. She was skeptical about how quickly the new vaccines had been developed.

But one of her three children has a compromised immune system due to cerebral palsy and, ultimately, she decided that the vaccine could help protect not only her, but also those around her. She’s fully vaccinated now and said she’d encourage others with questions to do their research.

“I feel like I made the right decision, not only for me but my family,” said Brittani, who lives in Texas.

She shared her story recently with other Starbucks partners during a virtual panel designed to answer questions about the current vaccines available in the United States. The panel featured scientists Drs. Stephaun Wallace and Amitabha Gupta from <a href="https://www.fredhutch.org/en.html">Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center</a> in Seattle. The renowned center, based in Seattle, is leading clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines and treatments.

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Wallace is a director of Fred Hutch’s COVID-19 Prevention Network and the HIV Vaccine Trials Network, as well as a staff scientist of the Vaccine&nbsp;and Infectious Disease Division. Gupta is the scientific content strategist at Fred Hutch and was formerly a researcher in the Basic Sciences division.

The event was moderated by Becky Elias, a public health expert and director of retail food safety and quality assurance at Starbucks. May Jensen, vice president of Starbucks partner resources, also joined.

Read on to learn the answers to questions submitted by Starbucks partners for the panel. (Answers have been edited for length and clarity.)

<a href="#immune">How do our immune systems work and what role do vaccines play?</a>

<a href="#vaccines">These vaccines were developed quickly. Are they safe?</a>

<a href="#booster">Will we need booster shots?</a>

<a href="#variants">Will the vaccines be effective against the variants?</a>

<a href="#covid">If I already had COVID-19, should I still get vaccinated?</a>

<a href="#effects">What can you say about the range of side effects that occur and how that can be different from person to person?</a>

<a href="#trusted">What are some trusted sources of information on COVID-19?</a>

<a href="#report">How can we tell whether a report or article is true or misinformation?</a>

<a href="#inclusive">Some people can’t get vaccinated due to medical or religious reasons; how will we ensure we're being inclusive in the workplace for those who are vaccinated and those who aren’t?</a>

How do our immune systems work and what role do vaccines play?

Dr. Stephaun Wallace: What we know is that our immune systems are already designed really well to prevent us from acquiring diseases and getting seriously ill from different things, but oftentimes our immune systems aren't quite up to speed on emerging infectious diseases. So, what a vaccine does is, it primes our immune system, or as I like to say, it teaches our immune system to better recognize and fight these invaders.

There are different ways that we also understand that vaccines can work. They can prevent infection, depending on how the vaccine was developed and how the trials were designed to test that particular product, but we also know that there are some vaccines out there that [may not totally prevent infection but can] prevent serious illness, and that is their main function. And then we also understand that there are some vaccines out there that work to prevent disease and delay disease progression.

These vaccines were developed quickly. Are they safe?

Wallace: Yes. It's important that I say that no safety protocols or processes were skipped at all in this process. The (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) was very clear from the very beginning that they needed to see a very specific set of data to come from the trials in order to move things forward.

There was a huge amount of coordination in this process at the federal level and internationally as well. Everyone is working on this, everyone is thinking about how to resolve this, everyone is talking about this. As a result, when you have that much energy and input and attention and focus on a particular thing, it's going to speed the innovation process up a bit.

The other thing I would say is that typically pharmaceutical companies have to go through a funding period between the different phases of clinical research. What the federal government did was take taxpayer dollars and invest billions of dollars in this process. So that means that between the Phase One safety trials, the Phase Two trials looking at potential immune responses and the Phase Three trials primarily looking at [how well the vaccines worked], the pharmaceutical companies did not necessarily have to go back and find/develop the resources needed to move to the next stage of research. That funding came from taxpayer dollars. So that helped to move this process along really quickly as well.

Also, the way that the vaccines have been developed is using technology, or platforms, that they had already for other diseases including Ebola, influenza, and even SARS and MERS. And so these are not necessarily new ways to develop vaccines, rather they're being applied in this particular virus.

Will we need booster shots?

Wallace: There is a high likelihood of needing a booster shot in the future. What we do not know yet is the duration of antibody protection so we have to define that first before we're able to go back and say what the boosters look like. I would tell people to think about it in terms of a potential every year sort of a thing, similar to how people think about the flu shot, but again, what it actually ends up being will be determined by [after we know more].

Will the vaccines be effective against the variants?

Wallace: Yes. Pfizer, Moderna and J&amp;J actually are really good again at preventing people from getting seriously sick and being hospitalized. Now, [trials of] Pfizer and Moderna were not being conducted during the time when we were identifying these various variants. So, I think that there's some consideration there around less efficacy, specifically for mild or moderate disease.

But when we think about severe illness, all of them, again, worked really well to respond to that, and these vaccines are actively being tested against variants as we continue to identify them.

If I already had COVID-19, should I still get vaccinated?

Wallace: Yes. If you have had COVID-19 disease, you should still get vaccinated. The recommendations are still 90 days after symptoms have subsided, and you should still get both doses of Pfizer/Moderna or the one-dose J&amp;J vaccine.

Our antibody response from natural infection doesn't last very long, we've observed. And another thing is that you may actually encounter a variant. So it would be good to make sure that we are protecting people against that, and the vaccination process will ensure a more robust immune response should you encounter the virus again in the natural environment.

What can you say about the range of side effects that occur and how that can be different from person to person? &nbsp;

Dr. Amitabha Gupta: There are a range of side effects that occur with these vaccines and basically, they range from a sore arm to a little bit of a headache to a little bit of a fever. I know my wife got her second dose of Pfizer last week, and she described it as having a mild hangover, if you will.

There’s a range of side effects including chills and fevers, and it varies from person to person. Everybody's immune system is different, and there are different stages. And it's not to say that if you don't suffer a reaction your immune system isn't working. Your immune system is still working, and your body is still building protection to the different vaccines.

There are some side effects that people were seeing early on. There was the talk of anaphylaxis in some of the mRNA vaccines [Pfizer and Moderna]. Those are being considered very carefully, and it's important to know that these [side effects] exist and to understand who they're affecting, and whether there needs to be an update to the guideline. This is where this Johnson &amp; Johnson and AstraZeneca piece fits in. The pause [on the J&amp;J vaccines to investigate reports of rare blood clots] was exactly what science meant to happen when you do a trial for 30,000 people [while the vaccines were being tested].

Thirty thousand is not a million people, it's not 10 million people. As we start getting into 10 million people [vaccinated] we will encounter people whose immune systems are different than the people who are tested in the 30,000. It's important at that point to pause and really understand the underpinning of that.

There are systems in place to help monitor and track people who may experience reactions to the vaccine so that we're able to then go back and say, OK, well, we're seeing this number of people that have this kind of reaction and it wasn't expected, we may need to pause this particular vaccine in order to look closely at whether or not there is causation versus correlation – whether this vaccine is actually causing the reaction versus just being sort of part of the story.

There is a lot of information about COVID-19 -- both accurate information and misinformation. It can be hard to tell if the information is from a reputable source. What are some trusted sources that people could go?

Wallace: Some of the top sources are the <a href="https://covid19.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a>, pharmaceutical companies who are doing the trials, the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,</a> <a href="https://www.fredhutch.org/en/research/diseases/coronavirus.html">Fred Hutch’s COVID-19 page</a>, the <a href="https://coronaviruspreventionnetwork.org/">COVID-19 Prevention Network</a> and <a href="https://preventcovidwa.org/">PreventCovidWA.org</a>.

How can we tell whether a report or article is true or misinformation?

Wallace: When I'm working with people around how to distinguish between misinformation and accurate information, I look to see if there are links to reference articles and whether it was published in a peer-reviewed journal. I also look to see if there a date on the article and is it from some anonymous person or do they actually have a name of the author of the article. I see a massive amount of information from anonymous sources who [claim to be] a nurse or a doctor but they never say what their affiliation is and they never say their name. I think it's really important that we arm ourselves to better distill this information and to be able to navigate it effectively.

Gupta: I want to add that when people [show me these articles] I always ask them what the sources of where they got them. I might say “What is it that is leading you to trust this piece of information?” I have a lot of friends who are still hesitant [about getting a vaccine], educated friends with advanced degrees but they still have questions. Understanding their motivation or their distrust is something I really try to get to with all my friends and family as well.

How will we ensure we're being inclusive in the workplace, with our guidance for vaccinated and unvaccinated Starbucks partners, as many partners can't get vaccinated due to medical, personal or religious reasons? How will we make sure our store leaders are doing what's right through the lens of inclusion?

May Jensen: We all have the lens of Our Mission and Values as leaders and partners at Starbucks, which is around creating a culture of warmth and belonging for everyone. And, as we know, there are so many different nuances to making the decision to get vaccinated or not. And we need to be respectful of those decisions and be inclusive of our partners.

And so a couple of things that we can just make sure we recommend is that how are we leaning in and creating a support system as leaders and partners for each other, asking questions about like “How are you doing today? How are you feeling, given the current environment? What do you need from me as a partner or leader to help you through this time?” Rather than asking “Have you been vaccinated yet?” because that obviously implies a bias.

So we're actually putting together a lot of tools and resources for our leaders in the stores, to be able to engage in these conversations appropriately and supportively with our partners.

Dr. Stephaun Wallace and Dr. Amitabha Gupta from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center answered Starbucks partners questions about COVID-19 vaccines during a virtual open forum.

9 things to know about COVID-19 vaccines: Starbucks, Fred Hutch host panel

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From day one of the pandemic, Starbucks has remained committed to caring for the health and well-being of our partners (employees) and customers, playing a constructive role in supporting local health officials and government leaders as they work to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and showing up in a positive and responsible way to serve our communities.

We believe that businesses have a role and responsibility to support our communities and this challenge requires all of us working together. Our involvement in supporting <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/offering-to-serve-starbucks-joins-effort-to-help-speed-covid-19-vaccination-delivery/">safe and equitable distribution of vaccines</a> began in January when we saw an increased need to accelerate and operationalize public distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in order to meet state-wide vaccination goals.

As more Americans become eligible for COVID-19 vaccinations, we remain committed to continue sharing educational information about the COVID-19 vaccine and supporting our communities in providing equitable access to vaccinations.

Caring for our Communities

As part of Starbucks ongoing efforts to support equitable vaccine distribution, the company is building on its existing community partnerships to invest in innovative programs that help increase safe and equitable access to vaccines.

Recent community investments include a $250,000 donation to help fund veteran-led disaster response organization Team Rubicon’s mobile vaccination site pilots currently underway in Nevada, as well as the development of a mobile vaccination site playbook that will be released as an open-source resource for agencies and organizations across the country. Team Rubicon’s support of Mobile Vaccination Units (MVUs) and other mobile vaccination efforts seek to make vaccine access more equitable by delivering vaccines directly to rural and tribal communities at convenient times and reducing transportation barriers. Starbucks investment also supports <a href="https://teamrubiconusa.org/vaccination">Team Rubicon-supported fixed vaccination sites</a> that are focused on reaching underserved communities, and have so far distributed over 1M total vaccines across the country. This long-standing partnership with Team Rubicon supports Starbucks <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2019/starbucks-military-commitment/">ongoing commitment</a> to help veterans and military families transition into their new lives and communities.

Starbucks has also contributed a total of $50,000 to local Seattle-area hospitals Swedish and UW Medicine to support their efforts to deliver vaccines directly to underserved communities.

Vaccine Equity Initiative

The Starbucks Foundation contributed $150K to the Vaccine Equity Initiative in partnership with <a href="https://allinwa.org/about/">All in WA</a> and the Seattle Foundation to help close disparities with COVID-19 vaccine access across Washington State.&nbsp;The Initiative&nbsp;targets and streamlines&nbsp;funds to trusted and known community-based organizations who conduct linguistically and culturally specific vaccine education and outreach, as well as safely facilitate mobile and pop-up vaccine clinics for those who want to get vaccinated.

WA State Vaccine Partnership

In January, Starbucks and other companies joined Washington State Governor Inslee and <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.challengeseattle.com%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7CKatie.Rodihan%40edelman.com%7Cbd7617e780c24159069408d8e9af9b5b%7Cb824bfb3918e43c2bb1cdcc1ba40a82b%7C0%7C1%7C637516287732000340%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=IjPGX%2FkrDaqzmTsrh7CDXs%2Bpj6xDCgayjR2JHHTKlXQ%3D&amp;reserved=0">Challenge Seattle</a> in a first-of-its kind <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fstories.starbucks.com%2Fstories%2F2021%2Foffering-to-serve-starbucks-joins-effort-to-help-speed-covid-19-vaccination-delivery%2F&amp;data=04%7C01%7CKatie.Rodihan%40edelman.com%7Cbd7617e780c24159069408d8e9af9b5b%7Cb824bfb3918e43c2bb1cdcc1ba40a82b%7C0%7C1%7C637516287732010290%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&amp;sdata=9naN07gd5r4j9eyx0455HE7o9BCuhBRCgs%2FtyHV2mYo%3D&amp;reserved=0">public-private partnership</a> (the COVID-19 Vaccine Action Command and Coordination System (VACCS) Center), to help optimize accelerated, safe and equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccines across Washington State.

Utilizing the company’s <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/offering-to-serve-starbucks-joins-effort-to-help-speed-covid-19-vaccination-delivery/">Tryer Center</a> Innovation Lab, Starbucks contributed expertise in operational efficiency, scalable modeling and human-centered design to Washington State’s vaccine distribution efforts. The Starbucks team used this work to inform three different models: vaccination clinics, drive-through clinics and mobile pop-ups to go to people in more rural or underserved areas.

Starbucks, in partnership with Challenge Seattle and VACCS, also released a <a href="https://21652974-25d8-4ff1-bbc0-8687c8ec1f64.filesusr.com/ugd/e29733_85ddb1ac8ee54759a971e885f1b6b32c.pdf">Playbook</a> of best practices from this partnership, so that other states and government leaders may leverage the findings and efficiencies for other mass vaccination sites across the country.This partnership helped Washington State successfully accelerate vaccine distribution to meet Governor Inslee’s 45,000 vaccinations per day goal.

In continuing the company’s commitment to prioritizing partner care and safety throughout COVID-19, the company has focused on providing ongoing information, education and advocacy for COVID-19 vaccines including:

Partners can click&nbsp;<a href="https://partner.starbucks.com/en-us/Pages/COVID-19-Partner-Care-for-U-S--Store-Partners.aspx">h</a><a href="https://departments.starbucks.com/sites/prepare/Pages/Partner-Care-and-Store-Resources-to-Help-Navigate-COVID-19.aspx">ere</a>&nbsp;for the latest information about COVID-19 benefits.

Caring for our Customers

Starbucks is committed to the health and well-being of our communities by supporting public awareness and education about the COVID-19 vaccine.

We recommend the following resources for more information:

Customers can click <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/what-customers-need-to-know-about-starbucks-response-to-covid-19/">here for an at-a-glance look</a> at what you need to know about your local store, Starbucks partners and the community.

For the latest updates from the company regarding COVID-19, visit <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/press/2020/navigating-through-covid-19/">Navigating through COVID-19</a>.

Starbucks support of safe and equitable vaccine distribution - Starbucks Stories

Starbucks support of safe and equitable vaccine distribution

Starbucks is building on its existing community partnerships to invest in innovative programs that help increase safe and equitable access to vaccines.

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Scientists from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and thousands of Starbucks partners joined for a virtual “Conversation with Leaders on the Frontlines of COVID-19” to talk variants, vaccines and the path forward.

About a year ago, Dr. Tom Lynch had just started his new job as president and director of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle when two scientists asked to meet with him.

“Tom, we’ve got a problem,” they told him. The researchers were Dr. Trevor Bedford and Dr. Steve Pergam, both associate professors at Fred Hutch’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division who had been monitoring reports of COVID-19 cases, which had been newly identified in the United States. A computational biologist, Bedford had <a href="https://nextstrain.org/">developed a model</a> that showed that the novel virus was not only in the area but had been silently spreading for weeks.

Fast forward to today and <a href="https://www.fredhutch.org/en.html">Fred Hutch</a> is now at the heart of research into COVID-19. Long&nbsp; known for developing groundbreaking treatments and cures for cancer, it’s also renowned for its work on viruses and is the home of the world’s largest HIV vaccine trials network. As part of Operation Warp Speed, Fred Hutch is also leading clinical trials for promising experimental COVID-19 <a href="/Users/landerso/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/2E16FXW6/preventcovid.org">vaccines and treatments</a>.&nbsp;

On Thursday, Lynch and Bedford, along with Fred Hutch’s Dr. Michele Andrasik and Dr. Catherine Liu, spoke to thousands of Starbucks partners from stores and company headquarters during a video panel about COVID-19. It’s part of an occasional series of conversations held by Starbucks for partners about large societal issues. During the hour-long panel, Fred Hutch researchers helped separate fact from fiction on what’s known about the virus, the vaccines and how long antibodies last, and discussed racial health disparities.

“Fred Hutch researchers are on the frontlines of the COVID pandemic tracking the virus and working on some of the significant phase three (vaccine trial) tasks,” said Starbucks chief executive officer Kevin Johnson, introducing the members of the panel.

In addition to Johnson, they were joined on screen by Shannon Garcia, Starbucks senior vice president of operations, and Becky Elias, director of global retail quality assurance for Starbucks.

Last month, Starbucks began working with Washington State Gov. Jay Inslee and others <a href="https://stories.starbucks.com/stories/2021/offering-to-serve-starbucks-joins-effort-to-help-speed-covid-19-vaccination-delivery/">to support accelerated, safe and equitable vaccine distribution and administration</a>, applying its knowledge about serving 100 million customers a week through 30,000 stores around the world to streamlining vaccination centers.

“We want to help get more people vaccinated and share the best practices with other states across the country,” Johnson said.

Will vaccines protect against COVID-19 variants?

As of this week, more than 27 million people in the United States had tested positive for COVID-19 and more than 475,000 &nbsp;have died.

Bedford’s <a href="https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2020/03/tracking-covid-19-trevor-bedford.html">early modeling of the spread of the virus</a> made him a trusted source for many around the world. His Twitter followers, which shot to more than 300,000 in the wake of the pandemic, include renowned researchers, laypeople and celebrities. Now he’s looking at how the new COVID variants in the UK, South Africa and Brazil affect what happens next and what they mean for the current vaccines.

Research shows the UK variant is more transmissible, contains higher viral loads and results in as many as 30 percent more hospitalizations and deaths, said Bedford. He expects that by the end of March, it may account for 50 percent of the cases in the United States. The variant was detected recently <a href="https://www.washington.edu/coronavirus/2021/02/09/uk-coronavirus-variant-detected-at-the-uw-message-to-seattle-campus-students-and-employees/">in a University of Washington student</a>.

The good news is that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which use genetic molecules called &nbsp;mRNA to trigger an immune response, seem to be effective so far against the variants from the UK, Brazil and South Africa, he added. And even those vaccines that are less effective are still protective against the severe forms of the disease. The changing landscape does mean that some vaccines will probably need to be reformatted at a global scale, he said. And in the future, people may need to get an annual COVID shot to protect against new variants, just as we do with the flu.

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“It’s going to be a battle between how quickly we can vaccinate people and seasonality and the divergent spread (of this variant),” he said.

Now that the vaccines exist, they could be changed seasonally and targeted geographically.

What we can learn from Rita Hanks’ antibodies

There’s been a lot of confusion about what kind of protection those who have recovered from COVID will have. Lynch, the Fred Hutch president, confessed to the panel that “not everything I read is the New England Journal of Medicine” and said he’d recently read in People magazine that actor Rita Hanks who, along with her husband, Tom, were among the earliest patients to have COVID-19, no longer has detectable antibodies to protect against the virus. What can we learn from that, he asked Bedford?

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