Dr. Pino: In Order to Reach the Latino Community in Orange County, Employers Must Give Workers Time Off To Get Vaccinated

Photo: Kelly Sikkema
Orange County Health Department Medical Director Dr. Raul Pino says there are pockets of the local Latino community that have still not been vaccinated.
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Pino says vaccine hesitancy is partially to blame. But he says limited access to the vaccines isn’t helping either.
He says access isn’t just about having insurance or a car, but it’s about being able to take the time off work to take yourself and your kids to get the shot.
“Working long shift, basically every day, some of them working two jobs, three jobs, and that’s why I’m appealing to employers to give their employees the time to get vaccinated and to get their kids vaccinated.”
While Pino says others are hesitant to go to vaccine clinics due to their immigration status.
“What happened in the Latino community, is that we have a large segment of the population that is not documented and that adds some layers of fear in our community to come and get vaccinated.”
Pino says it’s crucial to get more people vaccinated in the county as the Delta variant spreads.
Some 23 people have already gotten sick, and one person has died in the area from this variant that originated in India.
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