600 farmworkers get COVID vaccines at SLO County event — and more clinics are planned
More than 600 San Luis Obispo County agriculture workers were recently vaccinated against COVID-19 at a special clinic in Arroyo Grande.
Friday’s half-day event, hosted by members of San Luis Obispo County’s Farm Worker Outreach Task Force, was the first of several vaccination clinics to be held in Paso Robles and Arroyo Grande, the county Public Health Department said in a news release Tuesday.
“I am thrilled that together we can provide vaccines to so many of our local agriculture workers,” Public Health Officer Dr. Penny Borenstein said in the release. “Events like this are key to ensuring equitable and efficient access to vaccines, and I am grateful to the partners working tirelessly with us to ensure farmworkers get the critical protection this vaccine provides.”
California’s agriculture workers and their families have faced increased risk from COVID-19.
San Luis Obispo County says that agricultural industry employers, farm labor contractors and community partners helped register local workers in groups for Friday’s clinic, and three multilingual volunteers from the Promotores Collaborative of San Luis Obispo, Herencia Indígena and Dignity Health provided on-site interpretation and health education.
“It’s so important for our farmworkers, especially in our Latino and indigenous communities who have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, to get updated health information and services like the vaccine from trusted messengers in an environment that is welcoming and safe,” Erica Ruvalcaba-Heredia, director of the Promotores Collaborative of San Luis Obispo County, said in the news release.
Prior to the event, health educators visited work sites to share vaccine information.
This builds on the ongoing work of San Luis Obispo County’s Farm Worker Outreach Task Force, convened by the county in collaboration with agriculture and health care partners, to provide COVID-19 prevention information to workers throughout the pandemic.
Workers in the produce and agriculture sectors can also get coronavirus vaccines at the county’s regular vaccine clinics or from community providers such as pharmacies.
“This is a proud day for our Farm Bureau and agriculture community,” said Brent Burchett, executive director of the San Luis Obispo County Farm Bureau. “We never stopped farming during this pandemic. So many times over this past year we’ve heard ‘thank you, farmworkers,’ but today I think we truly showed our gratitude for their work.”
San Luis Obispo County isn’t the only Central Coast county vaccinating farmworkers against coronavirus.
Approximately 500 people received COVID-19 vaccines at a Feb. 28 clinic in Santa Maria organized by the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy and Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project.
Where to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment
As of Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department is administering coronavirus vaccines to healthcare workers; long-term care facility residents and employees; education workers; childcare workers; food service workers; emergency services workers and people age 50 and up, by appointment only. Some education workers are also eligible for vaccinations through their places of employment.
Those eligible to receive their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine can register online or by phone for San Luis Obispo County’s vaccine appointment lottery.
To register for the lottery, go to RecoverSLO.org/VaccineAppointments and complete the registration form. Those without internet access or who have difficulty with the online form can call 805-543-2444 or 805-781-4280 and an operator can help them.
To sign up for email alerts, visit EmergencySLO.org/en/newsletter.aspx.
In addition to San Luis Obispo County’s vaccine appointment lottery, appointments for coronavirus vaccines can be made through Dignity Health, Tenet Health Central Coast and chain pharmacies including CVS and Vons.
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 3:23 PM.
