Monterey County Supervisors to send letter to state about prioritization of farm workers for vaccine

MONTEREY COUNTY, Calif. (KION) During a Monterey County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, the Supervisors unanimously voted to send a letter saying that the state must prioritize farm workers when a COVID-19 vaccine is released, according to Supervisor Luis Alejo.

The letter will be sent to Gov. Gavin Newsom and Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly.

The United Farm Workers Foundation has also said it is important for farm workers to be among the first to receive a vaccine when it is available.

UFW Foundation Executive Director Diana Tellefson Torres released a statement saying in part, "as farm workers on the frontlines of the novel coronavirus keep America fed even as they are infected with COVID-19 at alarming levels, it is imperative field laborers be among the first to receive COVID-19 vaccines. Farm workers must be prioritized and also have access to factual, scientific information about vaccines in the languages and indigenous dialects they speak."

Read more about the UFW push for farm workers to get vaccine priority.

Earlier in the day Tuesday, vaccine advisors to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted to recommend that health care workers and residents of long-term care facilities should be the first to get a vaccine.

The first vaccines are expected to receive emergency authorization from the FDA this month.