Armando Mejia received his Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine Friday morning.
Mejia, a 24-year-old oil field worker, said he is the last in his family to receive the vaccine. Hopefully, it works, Mejia said. I m tired. I want to get back to normal. I m putting my whole hope in it.
Mejia was helped thanks to an effort by Walgreens to reach segments of the population hit hard by the pandemic and help them overcome obstacles to getting vaccinated.
At first, Mejia said he didn t think he was going to get a vaccine. But his aunt told him to go to the Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 14600 Horizon Blvd., where Walgreens was hosting a vaccination clinic for communities that have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to data from the city of El Paso, of the more than 131,000 cases reported locally, Hispanics make up 92% of those infected.