A pilot program aimed at vaccinating 450 Baja California children is underway at the Mexican Consulate in Little Italy.
About 150 participants were driven by bus Thursday from Tijuana to downtown San Diego to receive their first doses of coronavirus vaccines, which were donated by San Diego County.
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The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, donated by the county’s health and human services agency, were administered to Baja California children ages 12 to 18. The San Diego County nurses administered the vaccines to the children at the Consulate General of Mexico, located on India Street in downtown San Diego.
Last month, public health officials on both sides of the border raised concerns when it emerged that the U.S. federal government blocked an initiative for the county to donate vaccines about to expire to Baja California.
Carlos González Gutiérrez, Consul General of Mexico in San Diego, highlighted the importance of regional immunization for Mexicans who travel, especially with the reopening of the border on Monday for vaccinated tourist visa holders.
“Fortunately, we can count on these types of cross-border collaborative initiatives to match vaccination levels in the binational San Diego-Baja region,” he said. Between May and June 2021, more than 25,000 maquiladora workers in Baja California also received vaccinations under a similar program, he added.
San Diego County Supervisor Nora Vargas said she was excited about the unique collaboration between public health agencies and nonprofits across borders.
“This type of cross-border collaboration is an excellent example of solidarity and that these proven programs work and are beneficial for the health of everyone in our binational region,” said Vargas.
The children were chosen by a coalition of nonprofit organizations, such as the Tijuana Boys and Girls Club, Tijuana Innovadora, and other organizations. Another group of children is scheduled to receive their vaccinations at the Consulate on November 18.
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