Farmworkers, a group of essential workers, experience a disproportionately high burden of COVID-19 due to their living and working conditions. This project characterized farmworker mobility in and around Yuma County, Arizona, to identify opportunities to improve farmworker access to COVID-19 vaccination. We collected qualitative and geospatial data through a series of in-person and virtual focus group discussions, key informant interviews, and intercept interviews with participatory mapping. Participants included farmworkers, employers, and representatives of local institutions who serve or interact with farmworkers. We identified participants through purposive and referential sampling and grouped people by sociodemographic characteristics for interviews. We used qualitative and geospatial analyses to identify common themes and mobility patterns. The team interviewed 136 people from February 26 to April 2, 2021. Common themes emerged about how farmworkers have little or no access to COVID-19 vaccination unless offered at their workplaces or at locations where they congregate at convenient times. Further, farmworkers described how their demanding work schedules, long commute times, and caretaker commitments make it challenging to access vaccination services. Geospatial analyses identified three geographic areas in Yuma County where farmworkers reported living and working that did not have a COVID-19 vaccine clinic within walking distance. Coordination between local public health authorities and key partners, including employers and trusted representatives from local community-based organizations or the Mexican consulate, to offer vaccination at worksites or other locations where farmworkers congregate can help improve access to COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses for this population.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 has had a significant public health impact on both the United States and Mexico. Cross-border mobility between southern California and Mexico raises questions of transmission trends between these jurisdictions. The objective of this project was to describe binational cases amongst California US-Mexico border county COVID-19 cases and compare incidence trends to cross-border Mexico jurisdictions. METHODS: Interview data from persons with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections in San Diego County, CA and Imperial County, CA from February - June 2020 were reviewed for binational cases; demographics and connection to COVID-19 outbreaks were assessed. Graphs of COVID-19 incidence in San Diego County and Imperial County were compared to incidence graphs in cross-border Mexico jurisdictions of Tijuana and Mexicali. RESULTS: Persons with COVID-19 and a binational case were older, more likely to be Hispanic, and reside in a border ZIP code than those without. Binational cases were a small proportion and tracked with overall cases during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Binational cases had different trends than non-binational cases of SARS-CoV-2 in San Diego and Imperial counties from February - June 2020. Findings could inform SARS-CoV-2 mitigation strategies specific to the US-Mexico land border, particularly recommendations regarding cross-border land travel.

Little is known about the characteristics of acute viral hepatitis cases in the United States (US)-Mexico border region. We analyzed characteristics of acute viral hepatitis cases collected from the Border Infectious Disease Surveillance Project from January 2000-December 2009. Over the study period, 1,437 acute hepatitis A, 311 acute hepatitis B, and 362 acute hepatitis C cases were reported from 5 Mexico and 2 US sites. Mexican hepatitis A cases most frequently reported close personal contact with a known case, whereas, US cases most often reported cross-border travel. Injection drug use was common among Mexican and US acute hepatitis B and C cases. Cross-border travel during the incubation period was common among acute viral hepatitis cases in both countries. Assiduous adherence to vaccination and prevention guidelines in the US is needed and strategic implementation of hepatitis vaccination and prevention programs south of the border should be considered.