More than 100 Oxnard farmworkers receive COVID-19 vaccine through pilot program

OXNARD, Calif. (KABC) -- Good Farms in Oxnard turned into a vaccination site Friday for it's employees as more than 100 farmworkers were given their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.

This is the first location for Ventura County's farmworker vaccination program. The program brings the vaccines to this group of essential workers to their work site.

Rosa Gonzalez is with the Ventura County outreach program that works with farmworkers.

She says there are more than 40,000 farmworkers in Ventura County that are part of a yearly $2 billion agriculture industry.

The county has been working with advocacy groups, including the United Farm Workers Union, to set up this program. The union has been pushing for a program like this since the vaccine was made available.

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Alejandra Rona was one of the first farmworkers to get her first vaccination. In Spanish, she said she feels great that she got her first shot and grateful that the vaccinations were given there.

According to Ventura County, they'll set up vaccination sites like this at the small and medium-sized farms in the county. Officials are encouraging people to still go to their larger vaccination sites to get their first and second shots.

As far as the county's supply and if severe weather in other parts of the country affected vaccine delivery, Public Health Director Rigo Vargas says there have been delays of vaccine supplies, adding if they arrive this weekend they shouldn't have to postpone appointments.