On Friday, he waited in line at the Sierra Pacific drive-thru clinic in northeastern Fresno to protect himself against the coronavirus.
Madrid had no doubts, just one idea in mind – to survive this pandemic, as it did with polio years ago.
“You know people are a little suspicious about taking it, getting sick afterwards, not me,” he said. “I feel good.”
His daughter Gloria Mendoza accompanied him throughout the process.
She takes care of him daily and takes every precaution to protect her father.
“He shot like a pro,” she said. “He was there and I was very, very proud of him. Very proud of him. When my turn comes, I will do it next time.”
Fresno County health officials said this week that their goal was to vaccinate 3,000 people, but among all locations, they exceeded that number.
They are now preparing to administer even more doses next week, while welcoming a new group of people who are eligible for the injection.
Earlier this week, Fresno County moved on to the next phase of distribution, allowing residents 75 and older to receive the vaccine.
This resulted in long waiting times and even longer queues.
But Mendoza said they came and went in less than an hour.
“They were beautiful, really organized,” she said. “I think it was a 30- to 40-minute wait.”
But some who seek the vaccine have no one to help them in the process.
That’s why health authorities are partnering with community organizations to get extra assistance.
“We are really trying to develop a 1-800 number where people can call for assistance in actually registering online,” said Joe Prado, Manager of the Fresno County Health Division.
Fresno County plans to vaccinate half of its population by the end of July.
“It is about building a distribution system, not only for the next thirty days, but for that entire period until July 31,” says Prado.
Fresno County Health Division manager Joe Prado says the county has so far received 47,000 doses of the vaccine.
And all the remaining doses in the county’s deep-frozen freezer have already been approved.
“This is going to our clinic at the Fresno Fair and supporting some of the other clinics and also the suppliers”, says Prado.
Health officials are currently working to make the vaccination process smoother.
To clarify the confusion, Prado says he will better define the groups and categories that will be able to be immunized.
For example, the police will be eligible to receive the vaccine next month in the emergency services category, but this is not explicitly defined in the vaccination schedule.
“What we need to do and what we are going to do is add a definition to some of those categories of those who fall into those categories so that people have more details about where they fall,” says Prado.
Health officials say there is a reason they chose this method, which may change in the future.
“If someone has an adverse reaction in the car and is on the other side of the parking lot, will you really be able to see and monitor him?” says Vohra
Some backup is also on the way.
Prado estimates that more than 100 health professionals have signed up to distribute the vaccine.
Prado says many more doses are arriving in Fresno County next week.
Madrid now awaits its second dose.
And until then, he is asking everyone to do their part to protect their elders.
“I encourage people to be more careful with each other,” he said.
The Sierra Vista Clinic in Fresno County will begin vaccinating residents age 65 and older from Monday. To be immunized in this and other locations in the county, you must first register for an online consultation. People can register here.
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