Deicin Garcia is worried about taking a COVID-19 vaccine. Image: Deicin Garcia
For Deicin Garcia, distrust of the medical system goes back to when she arrived from Mexico 15 years ago as an undocumented teenager. She and her family had come to pick tobacco on a ranch about a 30-minute drive north of Hartford, Conn. When I started working in the tobacco field, we hardly ever went to the doctor. I don t believe anyone spoke about health insurance, either, Garcia said in Spanish.
After Garcia s father was deported, she left the tobacco ranch and secured permanent status. With her GED, she then trained to become a community health worker and now helps new mothers learn about breastfeeding benefits. Even though Garcia recently had COVID-19, she s not convinced getting vaccinated is a good idea.