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New COVID vaccine guidance allows New Mexicans to obtain shots at will
A health care worker fills a syringe with COVID-19 vaccine. Updated COVID-19 vaccines are expected to become available in New Mexico by late September, a state Department of Health spokesman said.
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New Mexico health officials issued new guidance Friday that recommends "broad access" to COVID-19 vaccines, including "any New Mexico resident who wants to be vaccinated."
CVS, one of the nation's largest pharmacy chains, said Friday that the action by the New Mexico Department of Health allows CVS to offer the vaccines without a prescription at its pharmacies statewide.
"Following today’s regulatory action by the New Mexico Department of Health, CVS Pharmacy will ensure COVID-19 vaccinations are available as soon as possible at our pharmacies throughout the state without a prescription," said Amy Thibault, a CVS spokeswoman.
"As soon as we begin offering vaccinations, appointments will be made available via CVS.com and the CVS Health app," Thibault said in an email. "Patients will also be able to walk into our pharmacies and clinics."
The statement is a 180-degree change from CVS' position a week ago when the chain said it could not administer vaccines in New Mexico, even to those with a prescription.
The updated COVID-19 vaccines are expected to become available in New Mexico by late September, a Department of Health spokesman said.
The new guidance issued Friday recommends COVID vaccinations for anyone 65 and older, people 2-64 years old at high risk for severe COVID illness, and more broadly, anyone who wants the vaccine.
"We are committed to ensuring access for those who wish to be vaccinated and our collaborative work with the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy demonstrates a swift resolution to remove barriers," Health Secretary Gina DeBlassie said in a statement. "As the fall/winter respiratory virus season rapidly approaches, New Mexico cannot afford to wait for the federal government to act on this matter."
Recent turmoil at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has created uncertainty around COVID-19 vaccines this year.
As recently as last year, New Mexico based its vaccine guidance on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which recommends vaccine policy to the director of the CDC. In the past, COVID-19 vaccines were recommended for anyone 6 months and older.
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Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired every member of ACIP in June and named replacements who have yet to make recommendations. And last week, a slew of top CDC officials resigned or were fired, including Susan Monarez, the agency's director — who'd only just been confirmed to the position a month prior.
The CVS pharmacy chain announced last week that it could not administer vaccines in New Mexico and two other states, even with a prescription, because of the state's reliance on ACIP recommendations. CVS reversed that decision on Friday.
On Aug. 29, DeBlassie issued a public health order directing the DOH to work with the New Mexico Board of Pharmacy to amend state regulations with the goal of ensuring access to COVID vaccines for New Mexicans.
The new guidance is based on guidelines issued by a variety of medical organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The guidance is intended to offer broad access to New Mexicans based on their own circumstances.
"We've really made it so that people can assess their own risk and get the vaccine if they want to get the vaccine," Dr. Miranda Durham, DOH's chief medical officer, said Friday in a phone interview.
The new guidance recommends the vaccine for a broad range of people, including:
• Anyone 65 and older.
• Children ages 6-24 months.
• People ages 2-64 years at high risk of severe outcomes from COVID illness.
• All pregnant, recently pregnant and lactating women.
• People in congregate or long-term care settings.
The new guidance also offers a blanket recommendation for healthy people ages 2-64 "who desire protection from COVID-19" and allows people to "self-attest" to their immunocompromised status or high-risk conditions. "Vaccinators should not deny COVID-19 vaccination to a person due to lack of documentation," it says.
"In general, given the constrained health care resources in the state, (DOH) recommends broad access to the COVID-19 vaccine," the guidance says.
