Taylor Farms partners with public health officials, National Guard to vaccinate employees
Salinas, California-based Taylor Farms announced COVID-19 vaccinations started March 9, for over 1,200 employees at the Yuma, Arizona facility as a result of a successful partnership between Yuma County Department of Public Health, with assistance and support from the Arizona Department of Health Services and the Department of Emergency Management.
According to a news release, with the second vaccination day March 11, Taylor Farms Yuma employees, from the farmworkers to employees who work in the processing facility, will be fully vaccinated in the coming weeks. All employees will receive their second dose in April before the migration to Salinas begins. This is a critical step to protect employees, their families and communities in which they live and work.
“We have been and will continue to fight to get vaccines for all of our essential workers, and this is an important first step to protect our employees,” said Bruce Taylor, chairman and CEO of Taylor Farms. “Our essential agriculture workers are working hard daily to ensure fresh foods continue to be available to consumers across North America, and I’m proud that the community and organizations in Arizona prioritize and recognize these everyday heroes with us.”
Located at the Taylor Farms Yuma facility, Yuma County provided the vaccinations, logistics and coordination for an onsite clinic with 14 stations. Vaccines were administered by Yuma County Health Department with assistance from the National Guard.
On day one, an average of 35 individuals were vaccinated every 15 minutes, highlighting the success of the walk-through vaccine site. Employee consent forms were filled out ahead of time to increase efficiency for vaccine distribution — and the multiagency team proved the process was working by consistently being ahead of schedule throughout the day. In addition to administering the vaccines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Yuma County Health are working side by side to map out migrant worker travel to advocate for more vaccines in key locations where these individuals travel to and from.
Taylor Farms will continue efforts to ensure all company employees across the country have the opportunity to be vaccinated and is committed to protecting employees and local communities during this ongoing pandemic.
Taylor Farms is family owned and based in “The Salad Bowl of the World” Salinas, California. For more information, visit here.
Taylor Farms Yuma, Arizona, COVID-19 vaccination day. Photo: Taylor Farms
