Santa Barbara County Public Health, United Farm Workers organization team up for community COVID vaccine clinic in Santa Maria

SANTA MARIA, Calif. – Santa Barbara County Public Health and the United Farm Workers organization teamed up to host a vaccine clinic at an apartment complex in Santa Maria.

Dozens received a COVID vaccine at the apartment complex behind where I reported.

According to the United Farm Workers or UFW, a majority of them are agricultural workers and of Mixteco descent.

The county's public health department and the UFW partnered up to make this vaccine clinic happen.

The department's goal was to get as many people in this apartment complex vaccinated as possible. 

The UFW said the majority of those who live here are farmworkers, latinos, and indigenous people. 

However, anyone in Santa Maria was encouraged to show up and get vaccinated. 

The Public Health Department offered Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines today.

The UFW and other organizations helped with vaccine education and provided translation services to Mixteco speakers.

“We try to have somebody else to help us with the translation for any case that we have,” said UFW Santa Barbara County Emergency Relief Coordinator Beatriz Hosp.

The UFW gave $25 gift cards to those who got vaccinated. 

The health department said staff members will continue to provide vaccine clinics to communities that are hard to reach.

The Public Health Department also mentioned that because the Pfizer vaccine is now FDA-approved, many chose to get vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.