Mass vaccination clinic held for farmworkers at Salinas Sports Complex

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) A mass vaccination clinic is being held Saturday for farmworkers at the Salinas Sports Complex.

Organizers expect more than 4,000 ag workers will receive vaccines at the clinic, the single, largest vaccination clinic for farmworkers in Monterey County.

With help from local organizations, the Grower Shipper Association and Clinica De Salud held their sixth mass vaccination site for farmworkers on Saturday.

The GSA president, Chris Valadez, says, after Saturday, about 16,000 farmworkers in total have been vaccinated through these large vaccination sites.

All workers in today's clinic are either receiving their second dose of the Moderna vaccine or their first and only Johnson & Johnson dose.

"Those who are returning to get their second dose and those who are coming later in the day for their one and only dose, this clinic will have fully vaccinated, fully vaccinated over 4,000 people today," says Valadez.

All of this was possible because of partnerships across local, state, and federal levels which allowed Clinica De Salud to get more than 8 million from the American Rescue Plan to continue their efforts.

"The federal government, Clinica De Salud, the county board of supervisors, as well as the Grower-Shipper organization that are basically bringing the supply to the rodeo grounds, bringing the farmworkers to the rodeo grounds where they can get their shots in arms, so it really is the definition of partnership," says Congressman Panetta.

Vegacarrales is a farmworkers who's been working in Monterey County for 18 years, he's urging farmworkers to get their vaccine as soon as they can.

"I feel comfortable, it's almost as if I didn't get it. I feel fine," says Vegacarrales.

Efforts to vaccinate ag workers will continue well into summer with the hopes of vaccinating 45,000 to 50,000 ag workers by July 4th.