Farmworkers Are Essential Workers and need COVID-19 Vaccines!

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo

Cornell Farmworker Program

Farmworkers and their families must be immediately added to the State’s vaccine eligibility list. The health of upstate communities and the health of New York State agriculture depend upon their vaccination.

See below for the text of the petition. Mary Jo Dudley, Director of the Cornell Farmworker Program in Ithaca, NY was interviewed on March 3, 2021 on DemocracyNow! about the condition of abandonment of farmworkers in New York State. Watch the clip and see the transcript here:

https://www.democracynow.org/2021/3/3/farmworkers_covid_vaccination

Petition by
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Ithaca, New York

To: New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo
From: [Your Name]

Farmworkers are essential workers who have suffered disproportionately from the COVID pandemic. Vaccinating these workers and their families is essential for the health of upstate communities and for the future of agriculture New York State. Yet they continue to be denied access to vaccine, even as it is becoming more abundant.

In February President Biden launched a program to distribute an additional 11 million vaccines directly to Federally Qualified Community Health Centers, including—among others—those serving farmworkers. In our region, three such health centers (Finger Lakes Community Health, Oak Orchard Community Health and Sun River Health) have applied for vaccines. These centers, known and trusted by farmworkers, stand ready to go to farms with mobile units to administer vaccines, and many farmers have indicated their interest in hosting mobile vaccination clinics. But these units can only vaccinate New York’s farmworkers if the state determines that they are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. These highly vulnerable essential workers and their families are not yet included the state’s eligibility list.

We urge you as Governor of the State of New York to ensure that farmworkers and their families are immediately added to the State’s vaccine eligibility list. The health of upstate communities and the health of New York State agriculture depend upon their vaccination.

Sincerely,