Frontline agricultural workers received their second doses of the Covid-19 vaccine at a Morgan Hill mushroom farm on César Chávez Day, March 31.
The vaccination clinic was a follow-up to a two-day event earlier this month at Monterey Mushrooms on Hale Avenue when farmworkers from throughout Santa Clara County received the first of two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine.
About 1,000 farmworkers received their second doses on March 28 and March 31.
The vaccination drive is a partnership between Santa Clara County, United Farm Workers, Monterey Mushrooms and the UFW Foundation. Numerous other vaccination events for farmworkers have taken place at Monterey Mushrooms and other farms in the area.
“Our farmworkers who harvest the food we put on our tables make California and this area one of the largest agricultural producing regions in the world generating billions of dollars in revenue every year,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez. “We need to keep them safe and protected by going to them with the COVID-19 vaccination because they are at increased risk of getting the virus due to working and housing conditions. With this collaboration we are bringing a significant portion of the farmworker population to safety.”
Vaccines at the Monterey Mushrooms clinic were completed by the county’s mobile clinic to ensure equitable vaccine administration to all community members, especially those working in sectors and regions of the county most heavily impacted by Covid-19, says a press release from the county.
“The issues facing farm workers may evolve, but the cause stays the same,” said Lauro Barajas, UFW National Vice-President. “We are proud to be part of continuing the legacy of César Chávez, and spending today coming together as a community to protect the workers who feed this country.”
More information about Covid-19 vaccination in Santa Clara County can be found on the County’s website at www.sccfreevax.org, with content available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Tagalog, or by calling 211 where assistance is available in multiple languages.
