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On Friday, he queued at the clinic driving the Sierra Pacific in northeast Fresno to protect himself from the coronavirus.
There were no doubts for Madrid, just one idea in mind: to survive this pandemic, as he did with polio all those years ago.
“You know people are a little wary of taking it, of being sick afterwards, not me,” he says. “I feel good.”
His daughter Gloria Mendoza accompanied him throughout the process.
She takes care of him on a daily basis and has taken every precaution to protect her father.
“He took the photo like a pro,” she says. “He was there and I was very, very proud of him. Very proud of him. When it is my turn, then I’ll take him.”
Fresno County health officials said this week their goal is to vaccinate 3,000 people, but across all sites, they have exceeded that number.
They are now preparing to administer even more doses next week as they welcome a new group of people eligible for the vaccine.
Earlier this week, Fresno County moved to the next phase of distribution, allowing residents aged 75 and over to get vaccinated.
This has resulted in long wait times and even longer queues.
But Mendoza said they got in and out in less than an hour.
“They were pretty, really organized,” she says. “I think it was maybe a 30-40 minute wait.”
But some who get vaccinated have no one to help them with the process.
That’s why health officials are partnering with community organizations to get additional assistance.
“We’re really trying to develop a 1-800 number where individuals can call for help registering online,” said Joe Prado, director of the Fresno County health division.
Fresno County aims to immunize half of its population by the end of July.
“It’s about building a distribution system, not just for the next thirty days, but for the entire period until July 31,” Prado explains.
Fresno County Health Division Director Joe Prado said the county has received 47,000 doses of the vaccine to date.
And all of the doses left in the county’s ultra-cold freezer are already talked about.
“This goes to our clinic at the Fresno Fair and supports some of the other clinics as well as providers,” Prado says.
Health officials are currently working to make the vaccination process smoother.
To clear up the confusion, Prado says they will define in more detail the groups and categories that will be eligible to be vaccinated.
For example, law enforcement will be eligible to get the vaccine next month in the emergency services category, but this is not explicitly defined in the immunization schedule.
“What we need to do and what we’re going to do is add a definition to some of these categories of those who fall under those categories so that people have more details as to their place,” Prado says.
Health officials say there is a reason they chose this method, which may change in the future.
“If someone has an adverse reaction in the car and they are in the parking lot in front of you, are you really going to be able to see and watch them?” says Vohra
A backup is also in progress.
Prado estimates that more than 100 health care providers have requested to distribute the vaccine.
Prado says many more doses are coming to Fresno County next week.
Madrid are now awaiting their second dose.
And until then, he urges everyone to do their part to protect our seniors.
“I encourage people to be more careful with each other,” he said.
Clinica Sierra Vista in Fresno County will begin immunizing residents 65 years of age and older starting Monday. To get vaccinated at this and other locations in the county, you must first register for an appointment online. People can register here.
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