More than 100 in shelter for homeless vaccinated

More than 100 people have received the COVID-19 vaccine at Albuquerque’s largest homeless shelter.

Carol Pierce, the city of Albuquerque’s Family and Community Services director, said Tuesday that 112 people were given shots during a vaccination clinic last weekend at the city’s Westside Emergency Housing Center.

In compliance with New Mexico Department of Health guidance, the shots went only to those 75 or older or those with chronic health conditions, Pierce said.

The city is working to ensure recipients are able to get their scheduled second dose, she told city, Bernalillo County and University of New Mexico officials during a meeting of the Homeless Coordinating Council.

“We’re coordinating with all our homeless (services) providers to make sure, as people move in the system, we can locate people for the second (dose),” she said.

The West Side shelter — located about 20 miles outside Downtown — is just one part of the city’s current pandemic “system of care” for people who are homeless. The city, working with partners such as Bernalillo County, is also providing emergency housing in five area hotels.

As of Monday, 781 people were staying within the network, Pierce said. About a quarter —196 — are children and 21 people are in what she called the “health hotels” for those who have COVID-19.

Pierce said the city is working to get vaccines to people at the hotels who qualify for inoculation, but there is no date yet.