In an effort to comply with a White House directive, the New Mexico Department of Health announced Monday that teachers are now qualified to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
The health department is planning on making first shots of vaccine available beginning today to teachers and other types of early childhood professionals who work outside the Albuquerque area. Those types of workers within Albuquerque will be scheduled to get their shots beginning next Monday and remaining educators will receive their initial dose beginning March 22, according to a Department of Health news release.
Dr. Tracie Collins, the DOH secretary, said that New Mexico has already vaccinated about 15,000 teachers throughout the state. Most of those teachers qualified for a vaccine because of other criteria.
New Mexico had been offering COVID vaccines to health-care workers, people 75 years or older and folks with health conditions.
Last week, President Joe Biden issued a directive calling on every educator, childcare worker and other professionals who work with children to receive at least their first shot of vaccine by the end of March.
Two of the three vaccines currently being delivered in America require two shots for a person to receive maximum immunity.
