From the FPAA President
Produce Workers – Roll Up Your Sleeves

Folks, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get down to business. The business of getting back to business, that is.

Produce workers in Santa Cruz County will soon be getting their first shots of the COVID-19 vaccine. This is an important development that is possible because of the aggressive efforts of Santa Cruz County and Mariposa Community Health Center. Together with other community partners, so far almost all of the 75+ age group have been vaccinated, and very soon we are told to expect that the first produce workers will get the call that their appointment is confirmed.

In order to help be prepared, it is essential that everyone registers for the vaccination. As more and more people are vaccinated, health authorities will be contacting those Group 1B workers.

This is why it’s important to register. After you register, be prepared that you or a co-worker may get a call in the afternoon, with the urgent request to arrive for a vaccination in the next 30 minutes or so. Act upon that call. That is how real-time this effort is.

Our partners in the community deserve a heaping amount of praise and gratitude. Every dose that is arriving is quickly being put to use.

As we gear up to reach 70% or more vaccinations in the community, here are a few things to consider:
Health authorities are switching resources away from testing and toward vaccinations. If you are exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19, you should get tested. Everyone else should be focused on getting their vaccines. For residents or workers in Santa Cruz County, pre-register for the vaccine here (https://www.santacruzcountyaz.gov/732/COVID-19-Novel-Coronavirus). That way, when your time comes up, there will be no delay.
If you have previously had COVID-19, or think you may have, you STILL should get a vaccine. Generally, the risk of re-infection is low within the first 90 days, but new mutations are spreading, and it is essential that immunity be maintained.

As they say, help is on the way. The vaccines are key. We at FPAA are extremely grateful to our partners in the community and the state, working very hard to bring the medicine that will help us all get through COVID-19.

Sincerely,
Lance Jungmeyer, President, Fresh Produce Association of the Americas

Getting in Line for an Appointment
As the FPAA shared in late December, companies should register as employers of essential workers with the AZ Department of Health Services.

Essential Employer COVID-19 Vaccine Request Form
***On the form, the following questions is included:
Please describe your organization’s vaccination plan, including if you are working with a COVID-19 vaccine provider that has been approved by ADHS to receive vaccine. If you are working with an approved vaccine provider, please include vaccine provider information in order for local allocators to be able to allocate vaccine as supplies become available
Please answer that the provider you are working with is the “Santa Cruz County Health Department”***

To add your employees to the list of people waiting on a vaccine appointment, please have each employee individually registered with Santa Cruz County.
Registration:
Santa Cruz County: Santa Cruz County, AZ COVID-19 Vaccination Registration (arcgis.com)

This will allow the County & State to contact people as vaccines and appointments become available. These are not the portals where you would make an appointment. Rather, you are ensuring that you are in line for a vaccine in the 1B category.

Please note that in order to be vaccinated, you will need to be a member of the current phase (Prioritized Phase 1b,) schedule an appointment, and provide appropriate identification once you arrive at the vaccination site.