Focused efforts continue to help undocumented workers access vaccines in the East Valley

Focused efforts are continuing to help undocumented workers and latinos access the coronavirus vaccines. 

News Channel 3’s Dani Romero has more on the new strategic vaccine effort now initiated in the East Valley. 

The push continues here in the Coachella Valley to get undocumented workers vaccinated. 

“We know that we have great disparities between the East and the West," said Conrado Barzaga, CEO of Desert Healthcare District Foundation. "We have to apply the definition of equity, which is giving everyone a fair chance at being healthy.” 

Both the state and the county have been worked hard to make vaccines equitable throughout the pandemic. 

But several barriers remain an issue in these communities along with vaccine hesitancy. So, they are taking new steps. 

“We have to bring the vaccine to them," said Barzaga. "We’ll do this in neighborhoods, we will do this in places of employment working with employers, trying to find the place where we can do vaccination after 5 or 6 during nights or during weekends."

And there’s another program the state started this week, delivering people to the shots. 

“When people calls us people call us to make an appointment and they tell us they don’t have a car to get to the vaccination centers we pick them up," said Yurina Melara, a spokesperson for California Department of Public Health.

And if you can’t leave your home, the state will find a way to bring the vaccine to you. 

In the East Valley, our vaccination efforts are making a difference. 

“We have administered over 30,500 of vaccines in the city of Coachella," said Kim Saruwatari, Riverside County Director of Public Health. "53.5 percent of the population is partially or fully vaccinated and 34.4 percent is fully vaccinated.” 

While these numbers are great improvement, county health officials explained there’s still a long way to go.  

For more information on the state's resources, call the hotline @ 833-422-4255 , click here.

For more information, Riverside County's resources, click here.