County sees uptick in vaccinations

Quay County last week saw a big uptick in the number of people vaccinated for COVID-19 not only because of more vaccines shipped to clinics but because of vaccination events in Tucumcari and Logan.

The previous week, Quay County had fewer than 5% of its residents vaccinated for the disease and the second-worst administration rate in New Mexico, according to the state's vaccine database.

At the end of last week, the county's vaccination rate rose to 17.7%, more than tripling that proportion, and ranked 22nd of 33 counties. Through Friday, a total of 1,477 county residents had been fully or partially vaccinated against coronavirus - an increase of about 1,000.

Neighboring Guadalupe County boasts the state's highest vaccination rate, at 63%.

The state Department of Health sent a vaccination team on Wednesday to the Logan Senior Center and the Tucumcari Convention Center. Those health workers inoculated 50 people at Logan and 100 more at Tucumcari, all with the Moderna vaccine. A health worker at the Logan event said all were first shots for patients. Moderna requires a booster shot in 28 days.

Vickie Gutierrez, administrator and chief nurse executive at Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari, said about 260 vaccines were administered there last week, compared to the 120 the previous week.

Gutierrez said 320 more vaccinations are expected this week at the hospital.

"Starting this week, we began receiving our first doses of Moderna vaccine, which helped us to increase the total amount we were able to provide to the community," Gutierrez stated in an email Thursday. "Moderna represents the same effectiveness but does not present the ultra cold-storage challenges of the Pfizer vaccine."

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

C. Renee Hayoz, administrator at Quay County Family Health Clinic in Tucumcari, said her clinic administered 90 first doses of the Moderna vaccine last week, compared to just 20 the previous week.

Hayoz said she anticipates administering 150 booster shots next week. She said she's requested another 100 doses.

She urge people to sign up at the DOH's dedicated COVID-19 vaccine registration database at https://cvvaccine.nmhealth.org, where they will be notified when they're eligible to receive one.

Residents who have questions or would like support with 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.

Through Friday, New Mexico has administered 394,000 vaccines, including 276,000 first doses and 117,000 booster shots. Another 125,000 in the state have been vaccinated at Veterans Administration hospitals, Native American health services and federal prisons.

The number of people vaccinated in the state the past seven days was more than 65,000 - an increase of about 4,000 from the previous week. New Mexico remains third in the nation in vaccination administration rates.

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and Dr. Tracie Collins, Health Secretary-designate, said in a briefing last week said the federal government was planning mobile vaccine clinics. Collins said her agency was getting the paperwork set up "in the next couple of weeks" so the mobile clinics can begin.

"Our state is moving in the right direction," the governor said. "We just need more vaccine."

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.

Lujan Grisham said front-line workers unable to work remotely likely would be the next high-priority group for vaccinations.

Health Services Secretary Richard Scrase said his agency estimates 16% of the drop in coronavirus cases in New Mexico can be attributed to vaccines.

Scrase said it remains imperative to roll out as many vaccines as possible because of the emergence of COVID-19 variants. He said he anticipates the United Kingdom version of the disease could become dominant worldwide.