Facilities administer about 250 more doses

Quay County health facilities administered about 250 more doses of COVID-19 vaccine last week as the proportion of residents who had received at least one shot inched towards the one-third mark.

According to the New Mexico Department of Health, 29.6% of Quay County residents had received at least one shot through Friday. The percentage of people in the county fully vaccinated rose to 17.5%.

The percentage of people registered for the vaccine stood at 27.1%.

Guadalupe County remains the most heavily vaccinated in New Mexico, with 51% of its residents receiving at least one shot.

The Quay County Public Health Office administered 90 doses of the Moderna vaccine last week during an event at the Tucumcari Convention Center.

The health office is holding vaccination events each Wednesday at the convention center from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m.

Trigg Memorial Hospital in Tucumcari administered 125 doses of the Moderna vaccine last week. It will administer 115 more next week, using a mix of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

The Quay County Family Health Center administered 40 doses last week and plans to give 180 doses this week.

Health facilities encourage those who haven’t been vaccinated to register for the shots at https://cvvaccine.nmhealth.org. Those who are signed up will receive texts or emails informing them of vaccines in their area.

Residents who have questions or would like support with vaccine registration — including those who do not have internet — can call 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.

These groups are eligible for the vaccine:

• Frontline essential workers;

• Residents of congregate care facilities;

• Those age 60 and older;

• Other essential workers.

• Phase 1A (primarily healthcare workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities);

• People age 75 and older;

• Educators, early childhood professionals and school staff;

• Those with a chronic health condition.

In New Mexico, more than 98,000 doses had been administered in the past seven days through Friday.

More than 1.12 million doses had been given since vaccinations began in mid-December.

In the state, 25.5% had been fully vaccinated against the disease.

Health Secretary Tracie Collins said she anticipated Phase 2 — which would include all persons age 16 and over not recommended in an earlier phase — would begin in the state by mid-April.