85-year-old Yuma woman travels to Glendale for a COVID-19 vaccine

Local woman says it took her 30 minutes to get her vaccine

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - With her son's help, a Yuma woman travels 400 miles to get a COVID-19 vaccine.

ABC 15 reported Leonora Ochoa, 85, had been struggling to find a spot for the vaccine. Made her wonder, why are vaccines taking forever to arrive in Yuma County.

However, that didn't stop the woman from doing her research. She tells ABC 15, “I was told to get on the internet. I would then search for four, three hours and it would say they don’t know when there’s going to be an appointment available that everything is full."

At her age, Ochoa said it puts her at high risk to COVID-19. Stating her next appointment in Yuma would be until April or May. That's when she decided to find another way to obtain the vaccine.

Ochoa's son helped her find the next closest place to get the vaccine at State Farm Stadium in Glendale without an appointment.

“It’s open 24 hours! how is that possible? How come no one told me that before?” Ochoa said.

It took her 30 minutes to get her vaccine.

Ochoa tells ABC 15, she's a lucky person, but sadly, there are more seniors in Yuma County who need the vaccine as well.

The Arizona State Representative that represents Yuma, Charlene Fernandez, tells ABC 15 she has sent various letters to Dr. Cara Christ, the Arizona Department of Health Services director, and Governor Doug Ducey without seeing any changes to the vaccine distribution.

Fernandez adds, “We’ve only had 7,400 doses sent to Yuma county. We’re not meeting the needs. We have a large elderly population, they qualify because they’re over 65, 75, 85, yet they’re not getting the vaccine that they need,”

Fernandez says with Senator Otondo, they have sent a letter to the Biden administration requesting to be put as a priority as soon as he's inaugurated.

Fernandez says Yuma County farmworkers and their elderly population have been left behind.