In order to balance the vaccination rate between Tijuana and San Diego and prevent the spread of COVID-19 in one of the busiest border areas of Mexico and the United States, a pilot cross-border vaccination program for Mexicans working in U.S. manufacturing companies in Baja California has begun.

This project was made possible thanks to the Mexican Consulate General in San Diego, San Diego County authorities and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), which will be in charge of applying the drug.

It is worth mentioning that the 10 thousand vaccines that were provided by the San Diego authorities are Johnson & Johnson, which only require one application, and the workers do not have to pay for them. However, the six U.S. companies located in this State on the Mexican side of the border that are participating in this program must pay an administrative fee of $60 per dose.

The vaccines are being applied at the San Ysidro-El Chaparral port of entry, through a mobile clinic of UC San Diego Health since last Monday, May 24 and until the 27th of the same month, and will be resumed from the 1st to the 3rd of June.

The hours of application are from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Employees will be transported by bus to and from the companies they work for.

According to the Secretary of Health of Baja California, Alonso Pérez Rico, although the Mexicans wait for observation after being vaccinated, in case of any allergic reaction, they will be transferred to hospitals in Tijuana.

It is expected that in one day up to one thousand 500 vaccines against COVID-19 will be applied as part of this program, and to be able to replicate it in the rest of the Mexico-US border cities.

For its part, the Tijuana City Hall pointed out that the application of the doses is only for Mexican workers who work in North American manufacturing companies and who cannot cross into the United States or who do not have visas or permits to work in this region.

In addition, he added: It is important to clarify, in order to avoid misinformation, that the application of Jonhson & Jonhson vaccines, donated by the city of San Diego, is not intended for people in mobility situations, located in the migrant camp in the vicinity of the Chaparral border crossing, nor for citizens who do not qualify for this initiative.

The companies that participated in the vaccination of their employees are: Poly, Compañía Embotelladora Del Fuerte-Coca-Cola, Jacuzzi, Flex, Call Center Services International-CCSI and Sempra-IEnova.

"This example of cross-border collaboration really symbolizes the notion that although we are two countries, we are in fact one region," said Carlos González Gutiérrez, Consul General of Mexico in San Diego. "Local partners in the border area are best suited to reach innovative regional solutions to binational challenges, such as COVID".

Video: This is how vaccination of manufacturing plant employees in Tijuana was started by San Diego authorities.