Vaccination clinic aims to give 1,000 vaccines to ag employees of Prima Wawona

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Prima Wawona, a local company known for growing peaches, nectarines and plums is working to make sure its employees are protected.

The company teamed up with Family Healthcare Network to vaccinate employees at a vaccination clinic Tuesday.

"It's going pretty good around here, see a lot of familiar faces from work and we're going through it." said Giovanni Perez, a packing support employee at Prima Wawona.

Perez was one of hundreds of employees who received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday in Reedley at one of Prima Wawona's work sites.

"It makes me feel that I'm safe now that I'm going to take the shot, I mean, sorry, the vaccine." Perez said.

Prima Wawona employs roughly 7,000 people throughout the year. The clinic was put on with the help of Family Healthcare Network and the Fresno County Department of Public Health.

Employees were eligible if they worked for Prima Wawona within the last year or are already committed to working for the company in the upcoming season.

"The pandemic has not only impacted communities, the healthcare industry, but also the food and ag community." Marisol De La Vega Cardoso, the Chief Administrative Officer for the Family Healthcare Network said it's important to make sure ag workers receive their vaccines as soon as possible.

Family Healthcare Network officials said the goal was to vaccinate 1,000 employees by Wednesday.

To encourage people to get vaccinated, officials chose an easily accessible location and a place that was familiar to employees.

"It allows them to get back to work, it allows them to provide for their families and also, just recognize the critical work they do for our region." De La Vega Cardoso said.

For employees like Giovanni Perez, he says getting the vaccine will make him feel more protected as he goes back to work.

"I encourage everyone to take it too so they can feel better, safer and working with people around without thinking 'oh, she has it', 'he has it'." Perez said.

Everyone who is vaccinated at the clinic will have to come back for a second dose in a few weeks. Officials said they already have another vaccination clinic set up to do that at the end of March.