California farmworkers get COVID-19 vaccinations

Hundreds of immigrants lined up to become some of the first US farmworkers to receive COVID-19 vaccination shots during a launch event in Riverside County, California.

The workers took time off from picking produce at Tudor Ranch in the farming community of Mecca, California.

"We're going to be vaccinating 300 of them," said Kimberly Saruwatar, Public Health Director for the county. "We know that this is an essential workforce. We know that they are critical to the food supply chain across the country, so we wanna make sure that they're protected."

The farmworker vaccination effort comes as California officials struggle to meet the challenge of vaccinating all those awaiting the shot, including millions of people 65 and older who recently were made eligible behind health care workers and people in nursing care homes.

California is getting 400,000 to 500,000 doses in a good week and it could take four to five months just to complete vaccinations for those 65 and older, state epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan said in a statement during a vaccine advisory committee meeting, according to the Sacramento Bee.

Large counties have been opening up more mass vaccination sites as they struggle with an unprecedented demand. Officials are pinning hopes on President Joe Biden's promise to ramp up vaccination resources.

Los Angeles County, with a quarter of the state's population, was straightening out problems with online and call-in systems that residents over 65 can use to make a vaccination reservation, said Barbara Ferrer, director of the county Department of Public Health.

But the real problem was supply. Ferrer said more than 70% of doses received for next week are already earmarked for second shots.

Meanwhile, California reported its second-highest number of COVID-19 deaths Wednesday but also a dip in hospitalizations below 20,000 for the first time since Dec. 27.

The total of 694 new deaths is second to the record 708 reported Jan. 8, according to the state Department of Public Health.

California this week surpassed 3 million COVID-19 cases since the outbreak began early last year. Nearly 35,000 people have died.

Most of the state was still under stay-at-home orders triggered by a lack of intensive care beds to handle COVID-19 patients. The spike was blamed on people ignoring social distancing and mask-wearing while gathering for the holidays.