NEWARK, New Jersey (LifeSiteNews) — America’s largest insurance provider is ending its COVID-19 vaccine requirement as more U.S. companies move away from restrictive coronavirus policies.
Prudential Financial, an American Fortune Global 500 and Fortune 500 company that offers insurance, retirement planning, investment management and holds $815.1 billion in total assets, will remove its COVID-19 jab rule beginning early next month.
Independent journalist Alex Berenson reported the reversal of the company’s injection mandate in a May 4 Substack post, including a screenshot apparently of an internal company memo.
“Effective June 6, we are eliminating the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for employees, vendors, contractors, and visitors to enter Prudential facilities,” the email read.
“This decision was informed by multiple factors, including guidance from public health authorities, confidence in our other safety protocols and high vaccination rates among our employees,” the company appeared to state.
Prudential spokesman Bill Launder confirmed to LifeSiteNews in an email Friday that the major insurance corporation “is eliminating its vaccine requirement, effective June 6.”
Prudential Financial ends vax mandate.
“Sounds like Prudential doesn’t see much benefit in mRNA vaccines for Covid.
But what would they know? They’re only the largest American health and life insurance company by assets. Not like they have a lot of data to check…” AB#Vaccine— Peter Hyatt (@PeterFHyatt) May 7, 2022
“Hmm. Sounds like Prudential doesn’t see much benefit in mRNA vaccines for Covid,” Berenson wrote, quipping that the “They’re only the largest American health and life insurance company by assets (second by policies written). Not like they have a lot of data to check … ”
It’s unclear whether vaccine-related data played into Prudential’s decision to scrap the mandate. However, questions have abounded as insurance companies have reported sky-high mortality rates that do not appear to be directly attributable to COVID-19.
Earlier this year, an Indiana-based insurance company raised the alarm after noting a staggering 40% increase in deaths among people age 18-64, the majority of which did not indicate COVID-19 as the cause of death.
In the third quarter of 2021, Prudential paid out 87% more in death benefits than it did in the third quarter of 2020.
While it’s unclear what kind of COVID-related data Prudential may have at its disposal that could have influenced the reversal of its jab rule, the company noted that other U.S. corporations have also moved to scrap their mandates.
According to the memo posted by Berenson, the reversal “aligns with current vaccination policies at most businesses and indoor venues across the U.S., including many of our industry peers.”
Last month, Bloomberg reported that almost “a third of employers who previously required Covid shots have dropped or plan to drop the requirement.”
A Willis Towers Watson survey cited by the outlet noted that just 38% of employers currently require employees to get the jabs, and of those 5% intend to drop the rule this year. Another 10% said they had made the shots mandatory in the past but have already stripped back the requirement.
Meanwhile, although Prudential Financial is dropping its mandate, it appears executives aren’t ready to eliminate all COVID-related requirements or recommendations.
The company noted that while it no longer requires the shots for entry to Prudential facilities, “we continue to strongly encourage all employees to be vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19.”
In addition, employees are still required to notify their employer of their vaccination status despite the rollback of the mandate.
The lingering COVID rhetoric is mirrored by other corporations that have pulled back on some rules while keeping others in place.
Earlier this year, Amazon announced it would lift its injection mandate for employees. However, the company simultaneously tightened restrictions on the unjabbed.