Farmworkers get vaccine at California mobile clinic

California farmworkers lined up for the coronavirus vaccine on Wednesday at a mobile clinic that organizers hope will be a model for outreach to a community that's been disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

About one thousand workers from several farms were expected to receive shots at the Monterey Mushrooms facility in Morgan Hill, Santa Clara County health officials said.

The county's first mobile vaccine clinic targeted farmworkers to comply with newly expanded state eligibility that includes workers in the education sector, emergency services, and in food and agriculture.

The United Farm Workers union joined the county and Monterey Mushrooms, a longtime agricultural producer, in partnering to organize the event.

Farmworkers have been one of the hardest hit communities since the start of the pandemic.

A University of California, Berkeley study found that 13% of Salinas Valley farmworkers tested positive for the coronavirus between mid-July and November.

In comparison, only 5% of Californians overall tested positive between the start of the pandemic in March and November.