United CEO weighs in on Texas mandate, employee firings: "This is in the rearview mirror for us"

United Airlines was the first major airline in the United States to announce a vaccine mandate for all its employees in August. Weeks later, 99.7% of its 67,000 U.S. employees are vaccinated, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby told "CBS Mornings."

"We believe in safety. It's the right thing to do. We all know it's the right thing to do. Know it will be difficult, know that not everyone will agree but we're doing it from the principle of just doing the right thing for safety," he said.

Kirby said that 232 United employees who did not meet the September vaccination deadline are going through a "termination process."