The booster vaccine against COVID-19 is generating concern among the rural community. On Friday morning, the county’s public health official, Dr. Geoffrey Leung, met with farm workers to clear up questions.
During the break hour, about 40 day laborers in the eastern Coachella Valley listen carefully to Dr. Geoffrey Leung.
The county public health officer arrived to resolve his concerns regarding COVID-19 and vaccines.
“If they do not have confidence in this, it is not possible for them to receive the vaccine, the vaccine is very safe, very effective, it does not just protect the community but the whole family,” said Dr. Leung.
In the group that visited the doctor, everyone already had their 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine. Because of their work, they qualify for a booster dose. In the minds of many of them, how long to wait to receive it.
“They should get the booster shot six months after the second dose,” Dr. Leung said.
Antonio Perez thought about his friends who did not come and took the opportunity to find out if vaccines can be mixed.
“When a certified person comes to speak to us directly, they break the myths, because they are a person who represents the county,” said Perez.
Dr. Leung says that whether vaccines can be combined is a question that comes to him every day.
He says that most people should avoid mixing them unless their doctor says otherwise.
“A common question about the booster shot is, have I received the Moderna and Johnson and Johnson vaccine and right now the booster shot is only for those who have been vaccinated with Pfizer,” said Dr. Leung.
Dr. Leung and together with the TODEC organization also visited 15 farmers in a rural field where lettuce is harvested.
“You all qualify for the booster shot,” the doctor informed them in Spanish.
Luz Gallegos fears that due to lack of information, another farmer will lose his life due to the virus.
“We have to continue taking care of them, valuing them, and giving education information so that they continue with their prevention,” said Gallegos, director of the TODEC organization.
It is estimated that more than 90% of farmers in the eastern valley are already vaccinated.
By being face-to-face with the health expert, these field workers are expected to spread the word of the importance of getting vaccinated.
“It is a good thing that the doctor came, many people sometimes fear going to the doctor or do not have the opportunity for x things, it is a good thing that they have come,” said Carlos Fabela, a farm worker.
The TODEC organization continues to invite the community that has not been vaccinated to come to their offices on Fridays where vaccinations are provided.
Those who arrive receive a coffee card after receiving their vaccination. TODEC’s offices are located at 1560 Sixth Street, Coachella, California 92236.
–
