The Netflix logo is shown in this illustration photograph in Encinitas, California.
Mike Blake | Reuters
Netflix is instituting a vaccination mandate for all of its U.S. productions, according to a report from Deadline.
While several individual productions have required vaccinations, Netflix is the first major Hollywood studio to implement a policy across all productions. Those covered by the mandate include all actors and any crew that comes into contact with them, which is also known as “Zone A” workers. All staff in that category will be required to show proof of vaccination, the report said.
Exceptions to the policy will be rare, but could include medical, religious and age reasons, Deadline said.
The report comes as Covid cases continue to surge in the U.S. Also, new return-to-work protocols from Hollywood unions recently opened the door for studios to require vaccinations.
On Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reversed course and recommended that fully vaccinated people begin wearing masks indoors again in places with high Covid transmission rates. These hot spots include states like California and Georgia, where much of U.S.-based film and TV productions take place.
Representatives from Netflix declined to comment, but a person familiar with the matter confirmed the information.
Other major companies instituting vaccination mandates include Google, which announced Wednesday it was extending its office return for employees until Oct. 18. In an email to employees, CEO Sundar Pichai said the company will require anyone coming into the office to be vaccinated.
