Given a patchwork of state and county policies in the U.S. on vaccination priorities, Monterey County in California is actively vaccinating farm workers irrespective of age.  According to Christopher Valadez, President of the Salinas-based Grower-Shipper Association in Central California, the program began on March 3rd with a large-scale vaccination event that took place on Saturday, March 6th for 3,000 farm workers.

Valadez noted, "we are really focusing on trying to create a level of enhanced health protectiveness for the employees by getting them vaccinated in blocks". He added "almost all of our Association’s efforts and work with our employer members is to help them prioritize and move their folks into the vaccination program".  Valadez considers vaccination to be the "most effective tool in the arsenal right now to reduce both infection and the severity of the disease". 

There are approximately 60,000 farm workers and an additional 50,000 who are in some way connected to agriculture in Monterey County with a population of 460,000.