WEST VALLEY CITY – “I love the work that you all are doing,” said Utah Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson at a community vaccination clinic on Nov. 19.
Henderson thanked the partners who organized the series of pop-up clinics at Rancho Markets across the Wasatch Front, praising efforts to shrink the health gaps among the Latino and multicultural communities particularly hard-hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. She also thanked the parents who brought their children to the clinic, with vaccinations newly available for 5 to 11 year-olds. “This is the most important work that we really can be doing right now,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
Rush-hour drivers on Redwood Road honked and waved as they passed the clinic’s flag-lined white tents, illuminated by the lights of TV cameras filming Henderson’s remarks. Lines of people, including some families with a handful of young children in tow, turned out on a brisk fall evening. About 70 shots were delivered in three hours, health workers estimated. Reflecting the average number of doses distributed at most Rancho Markets clinics.
Lt. Governor Deidre Henderson visits with MCA staff. 
The Lt. Governor addresses clinic organizers and celebrates their work. 
Community members line up to recieve their vaccinations and connect with community resource organizations.
The clinic was the latest of some 23 clinics for Utah’s Latino residents, part of an on-going partnership with Rancho Markets, the Utah Division of Multicultural Affairs, the Salt Lake County Health Department, and the Utah Department of Health. More than 1,000 people have received vaccinations at the clinics, said Cristina Diaz De Leon, lauded at the event for her tireless efforts as a COVID-19 organizer.
That the clinic took place in a convenient parking lot matters, said Yolanda Rodriguez, a community health worker noted for her ability to overcome fears expressed by those waiting for shots.
“This is a place where the community comes and we can talk to them,” Rodriguez said of the Mexican-owned grocery store chain. She expressed pride in community members who have overcome their mistrust and vaccination resistance, but noted that the ongoing efforts continue. “We have more work to do,” she said, a belief underscored by all of the event’s organizers.
Visit the Multicultural Affairs website (https://multicultural.utah.gov/covid-19-resources) for COVID-19 resources and visit future clinics.