COVID-19 vaccinations fall again

The number of COVID-19 vaccinations in Quay County fell again last week, though those numbers likely will rise again this week. A state Department of Health official also said a vaccination event in the county is imminent.

Through Sunday, Quay County had the second-worst vaccination rates in New Mexico, at 4.9%, according to data from the state health agency. Only Mora County, at 3.2%, was worse.

Meanwhile, neighboring Union County had the state’s highest vaccination rates, at 42%. Guadalupe County was second, at 40.5%.

C. Renee Hayoz, administrator at Quay County Family Health Center in Tucumcari, said just 20 vaccines were administered last week, and all were boosters for those who’d received their first shots. A total of 130 doses were administered the previous week.

Hayoz said 100 doses of the Moderna vaccine arrived last week, and all would be allocated as first doses for patients. She said she’s requested 200 more doses for this week, and those would be used as booster shots.

Hayoz said Monday during her monthly report to the Quay County Commission she would request 150 more vaccine doses next week for booster shots. To date, the clinic has received about 500 doses since late December.

Hayoz recommended people sign up at the DOH’s dedicated COVID-19 vaccine registration database at https://cvvaccine.nmhealth.org, where they will be notified as soon as they’re eligible to receive one.

Residents who have questions or would like support with state vaccine registration — including those who do not have internet access — can dial 1-855-600-3453, press option 0 for vaccine questions, then option 4 for tech support. Users with other vaccine-related questions should call 1-855-600-3453 and press option 0.

Vickie Gutierrez, administrator and chief nurse executive at Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari, said her facility administered 120 shots of the Pfizer vaccine last week and anticipated a shipment of 120 more doses this week. Trigg gave out 120 shots the previous week.

“For now, amounts remain limited,” Gutierrez stated in an email Thursday. “We will continue to distribute as much as we possibly can in our community with the staff and resources that we have. We are proud to have distributed 688 vaccines so far in our community.”

Those eligible for the vaccine also are encouraged to call Trigg at (575) 461-7100 for an appointment. Trigg will do weekly vaccine clinics at no cost.

James Masters, Southeast Region director for the DOH, stated in an email “there are plans for an event” for vaccinations in Quay County. He pledged to give out more information when it becomes available.

Through Sunday, more than 341,000 vaccine doses have been administered in New Mexico. About 251,000 primary doses have been issued, with about 88,000 booster shots.

The number of vaccines given during the most recent seven-day period was over 61,000 — an increase of about 8,000 from the previous week.

Health Secretary-designate Dr. Tracie Collins said during a briefing that President Joe Biden’s new administration has boosted the vaccine supply in New Mexico by 6% last week and 16% the week before that.

Collins said at one point, the state saw 9,000 vaccinations in a single day — double from three weeks ago.

These groups are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in New Mexico:

• Hospital personnel;

• Residents and staff of long-term care facilities;

• Medical first responders;

• Congregate-setting workers;

• Persons providing direct medical care and other in-person services;

• Home-based health care and hospice workers;

• People age 75 and older;

• People age 16 and over who are at risk of COVID complications.

New Mexico ranks fourth in the country in COVID-19 vaccination rates and third in testing rates. The state’s test-positivity rate fell to 6.1% early last week and was approaching the benchmark of 5%. New Mexico’s test-positivity rate also was lower than the neighboring states of Arizona, Texas and Oklahoma.

Human Services Secretary David Scrase said the state has seen “improvement in all aspects of the pandemic.”

“We see every possible sign everything is getting better,” he said.