CAITLIN ANTONIOS
CalMatters
In late January, Monterey Countyâs Board of Supervisors sent a letter to state leaders, urging them to prioritize its 64,000 farmworkers in one of the nationâs largest agricultural regions. A month later, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited a mobile vaccine clinic in Fresno, pledging tens of thousands of extra doses for farmworkers.
In turn, Chris Valadez, president of a nonprofit organization of growers, was confident he could run a mass vaccine clinic to vaccinate thousands of farmworkers. His group, the Grower-Shipper Association, partnered with Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, a community-based health care provider.
But in late February, the state and county were focusing on vaccinating people 65 and older, so they didnât prioritize doses for farmworkers. With the Salinas Valley harvest season fast approaching, growers were worried that infections would start spreading, decimating their workforce.Â
How Growers Had To Sidestep County And State Programs To Vaccinate Farmworkers Sunday, May 9, 2021 | Sacramento, CA
Work continues at a winery in Clarksburg, Calif., last month. Farms are operating as essential businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Rich Pedroncelli / AP Photo
In late January, Monterey County’s Board of Supervisors sent a letter to state leaders, urging them to prioritize its 64,000 farmworkers in one of the nation’s largest agricultural regions. A month later, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited a mobile vaccine clinic in Fresno, pledging tens of thousands of extra doses for farmworkers.
In turn, Chris Valadez, president of a nonprofit organization of growers, was confident he could run a mass vaccine clinic to vaccinate thousands of farmworkers. His group, the Grower-Shipper Association, partnered with Clinica de Salud d
How Growers Sidestepped County, CA Programs To Vaccinate Workers Patch 5/9/2021
In Summary
As harvest season approached, growers begged county officials to vaccinate their workers. But the state and counties didn’t prioritize vaccine doses for farmworkers in February. So the growers and doctors stepped in and set up their own clinics.
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In late January, Monterey County’s Board of Supervisors sent a letter to state leaders, urging them to prioritize its 64,000 farmworkers in one of the nation’s largest agricultural regions. A month later, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited a mobile vaccine clinic in Fresno, pledging tens of thousands of extra doses for farmworkers.
In late January, Monterey County’s Board of Supervisors sent a letter to state leaders, urging them to prioritize its 64,000 farmworkers in one of the nation’s largest agricultural regions. A month later, Gov. Gavin Newsom visited a mobile vaccine clinic in Fresno, pledging tens of thousands of extra doses for farmworkers.
In turn, Chris Valadez, president of a nonprofit organization of growers, was confident he could run a mass vaccine clinic to vaccinate thousands of farmworkers. His group, the Grower-Shipper Association, partnered with Clinica de Salud del Valle de Salinas, a community-based health care provider.
But in late February, the state and county were focusing on vaccinating people 65 and older, so they didn’t prioritize doses for farmworkers. With the Salinas Valley harvest season fast approaching, growers were worried that infections would start spreading, decimating their workforce.