SANTA FE, N.M. – The New Mexico Department of Health issued a public health order Friday to maximize the availability of COVID-19 vaccines this fall.
The order comes after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 vaccine formulas, but with new limits on who could qualify for them.
The FDA is mostly limiting COVID-19 vaccines to those 65 and older, while exceptions exist for younger persons with underlying conditions.
NMDOH says its own order comes in response to some pharmacies saying they cannot give the vaccine unless recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), an advisory group to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. ACIP has yet to convene and act on the matter.
The order directs NMDOH to work with New Mexico’s Board of Pharmacy to remove potential barriers and ensure access to COVID-19 vaccines at pharmacies across the state.
“It’s important for New Mexicans to know the New Mexico Department of Health is committed to keeping residents safe as we enter the 2025 – 2026 respiratory virus season,” said Health Secretary Gina DeBlassie. “This order will remove obstacles to vaccination access.”
The state expects the updated COVID-19 vaccine to start arriving in New Mexico within the next few weeks.
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