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Ruiz Pushes State Officials, Blue Shield for More Vaccines for CA-36

March 5, 2021

Palm Desert, CA – Today, Congressman Raul Ruiz, M.D. (CA-36) called on the State of California and Blue Shield of California to bring more vaccines to Eastern Riverside County. In a letter to Government Operations Agency Secretary Yolanda Richardson and California Blue Shield CEO Paul Markovich, Dr. Ruiz pushed for more vaccines to be made available to his constituents in California's 36th Congressional District, which includes 12 Medically Underserved Areas that have been hit hard by the pandemic.

"As a physician and public health expert, I have been aggressively advocating for more vaccines in my district in Eastern Riverside County," wrote Dr. Ruiz. "As you work with the counties to solidify upcoming plans for distribution, I urge you to make equitabledistribution your highest priority, taking into account the unique needs of individual communities and populations. In doing so, you will ensure the hardest hit, highest risk communities get the vaccines that they need, like California's 36th Congressional District."

California's 36th Congressional District—located in Eastern Riverside County—includes 12 communities that the Health Resources and Services Administration defines as Medically Underserved Areas. Cities in Dr. Ruiz's district, including Hemet, Indio, and Coachella have experienced a high number of COVID-19 infections, with approximately 10-15% of their populations testing positive for COVID-19, compared to 8.4% statewide in California.

You can read the full letter here.

Issues:Health Care