LatinoJustice Statement on UTRGV COVID-19 Vaccine Incident
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2021
Contacts:
Elianne Ramos | Chief Communications Officer | [email protected] | 212.739.7513
Sarai Bejarano | Manager of Traditional & Digital Media | [email protected] | 212-739-7581
LatinoJustice Statement on UTRGV COVID-19 Vaccine Incident
University Responds After Letter Sent by LatinoJustice: Vaccine Eligibility Changes will take Place
New York, NY - On the weekend of February 20th, 2021 LatinoJustice PRLDEF was notified of an incident that took place at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) where eligible individuals were denied from receiving Coronavirus vaccines due to their immigration status.
Jorge Renaud, LatinoJustice’s Southwest Regional Policy Director, released the following statement on UTRGV’s response after LatinoJustice and allies sent a letter demanding changes to their COVID-19 vaccine guidelines.
“LatinoJustice is pleased that UT Rio Grande Valley has announced that it will distribute the Covid-19 vaccine to all eligible people regardless of immigration status, and thanks our friends at LUPE for leading this charge. This lifesaving vaccine should be distributed based solely on medical need and risks of infection. Those incarcerated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice are among the highest risk of infection, and we therefore demand that the state and TDCJ to prioritize them for vaccination as well.”
Supporting Materials:
- Letter Sent to UTRGV by LatinoJustice
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About LatinoJustice
LatinoJustice PRLDEF works to create a more just society by using and challenging the rule of law to secure transformative, equitable and accessible justice, by empowering our community and by fostering leadership through advocacy and education. For more information about LatinoJustice, visit www.latinojustice.org