Updated COVID-19 vaccines to hit New Mexico pharmacies in the next few days.
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Modified
New year, new vaccine.
Updated COVID-19 shots, tailored to combat variants of the virus currently heavily circulating, will be hitting pharmacies, medical providers and public health offices last week and early next week 鈥� in time to tackle rising cases and as New Mexico prepares for a respiratory illness triple threat.
鈥淪ix months and older? Go get the vaccine. And that鈥檚 irregardless of how many other vaccines you鈥檝e had,鈥� state health department Medical Director Miranda Durham said. 鈥淚f you鈥檝e had zero COVID vaccines, or you鈥檝e had a whole bunch of them, you should still get this season鈥檚 COVID vaccine.鈥�
While the flu and RSV 鈥� the other two respiratory illnesses the health department鈥檚 worried about this fall 鈥� have not harshly struck New Mexico quite yet, COVID-19 hospitalizations have trended upward over the last eight weeks, according to updated on Tuesday. New Mexico had 74 admissions between Aug. 29 and Sept. 4.
There鈥檚 also been an uptick in cases, Durham said, with almost 900 in the first week of September 鈥� about 42 cases per 100,000 people.
But Durham said that pales in comparison with the height of the pandemic, and that while hospitals in metro areas are close to capacity, they鈥檙e not over it. Still, she hopes to cut down on any additional strain that serious respiratory illnesses preventable by vaccines could cause.
Vaccine uptake is a source of concern for Durham, though. The number of administered vaccines has steadily gone down in recent weeks, with about 780 given in the last seven days.
鈥淲hat is concerning about that is feeling like, 鈥極h, maybe people lost enthusiasm about the COVID vaccine,鈥� 鈥� she said. 鈥淲e really are hoping that people will have renewed enthusiasm for the COVID vaccine and go out and get it and stay protected through the winter.鈥�
Durham acknowledged feelings of unease about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, and that while allergic reactions or the rare side effect of myocarditis are always possible, the health department has robust safety data about this round of vaccines.
鈥淲e feel very confident this is a safe and effective vaccine,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not perfectly effective at stopping you from getting COVID. But it鈥檚 really effective at keeping people out of the hospital.鈥�
Anyone interested in getting the vaccine can find their closest provider on an interactive map at .
Durham noted that even those without insurance can get the vaccine by taking advantage of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention鈥檚 Bridge Access Program, which provides free vaccines and in which major pharmacy companies like Walgreens and CVS participate.
