The City of Brownsville and Cameron County have partnered with the City of Matamoros and the Consulate of Mexico in Brownsville to launch the Maquiladora Vaccination Pilot Program where workers in the maquiladora industry in Matamoros receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the Veterans International Bridge.
The Health Department of the City of Brownsville provided the 3,000 Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccines at no cost, in addition to providing the appropriate nursing staff to inoculate the workers.
The pilot program lasted three days and once it is evaluated could be extended.
“The program represents a true binational cooperation effort at every level from local city officials to the federal level, with the primary objectives of contributing to the reduction of COVID-19 infections in the sister city, reopening the border to its normal flow of commercial exchange and in acknowledgement of the economic importance of workers in production chains,” the press release by the Consulate of Mexico in Brownsville reads.
Ramiro Gonzalez, director of Government & Community Affairs for the City of Brownsville, said in an interview it is important for The City of Brownsville to create and be part of this binational vaccination effort because Matamoros is our sister city.
He said he is hopeful this program will continue but it all depends on the availability of the vaccine.
“We always look to help where we can and with COVID it is no different. For this binational vaccine, we replicated a model that was established in California, where U.S. border cities assist in vaccinating maquila workers,” he said.
“The reason of the focus on the maquiladora workers is to protect the supply chain and the conduction of business on both sides of the border.”
The Maquiladoras Association in Matamoros is also part of the program and said they appreciate the collaboration and willingness of the local, state and federal authorities of the United States and Mexico to carry out the program.
Mexican Consul Juan Carlos Cue Vega said it is important for the consulate to be part of this partnership because the workers who received the vaccine as part of the program are human beings who support their homes and haven’t stopped working.
“With that, they contribute to keep the border economy alive,” Cue Vega said. “Besides, they’re employees of maquiladoras that are part of American companies. It is our duty to coordinate with the authorities of the United States this binational effort to reduce the spread and reduce deaths.”
The international bridges throughout the border, have been closed to Mexicans for non-essential travel since March 2020. Only those with essential activities are allowed to cross by land such as those who work or study in the United States.
