NM’s best shot?

State does impressive job getting COVID vaccine into arms but shouldn’t go it alone

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and state health officials insist New Mexico’s centralized state vaccine distribution system — one of the few in the country — is random, fair and equitable.

There’s little doubt it is amazingly efficient — as of Wednesday, the Department of Health says 450,299 of the 454,350 shots the state has received have been put into N.M. arms. That’s 99.1%, which makes our state a top performer. DOH says we’re third best in the nation.

Now it appears the state is trying to rein in providers who have been giving the vaccine to desperate New Mexicans without requiring them to go through the Department of Health for an appointment. The state health officials say they are working to “onboard” these providers into the state system, and that seems wrong-headed.

President Biden got it right when he announced plans to send vaccines directly to independent providers around the country. There are benefits to the state embracing that approach and working with other outlets to administer the vaccine.

For example, CEO David Shaw of NorLea General Hospital in Hobbs said his staff sorted out patients 75 and older and those 16 and older with health conditions and “each week we call 600 people and offer them an appointment” at one of two locations including drive-thru. This is smart, fair and efficient.

Vida Pharmacy in Albuquerque booked a 1,000-person vaccination clinic this past weekend and runs vaccination sites at two Albuquerque locations, the Raymond G. Sanchez Community Center and the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Those interested must meet the state’s guidelines for eligibility and sign up on the pharmacy’s website. While the openings fill quickly, it’s an option for those willing to try.

Yet the state wants to “onboard” these providers into its appointment system. Absolutely, providers need to share their info with the state and follow the state’s phased distribution categories. But why is it an issue to have people get vaccinated after a health professional who has treated them reaches out? Or be allowed to go to a pharmacy site and try to book a time through that process?

Not to mention getting a vaccine perhaps weeks before their name popped up in the state lottery system, which by design doesn’t take into account the combination of age and medical condition that puts many of them at a higher level of risk.

N.M.’s vaccination protocol is first and foremost about ensuring “that vaccine goes to those who are at highest risk of serious disease and death from COVID-19,” according to DOH’s presentation Wednesday. It’s hard to square that with the policy that uses a random drawing that puts a 70-yearold with cancer in the same pot as an overweight 22-year-old.

Right now people in Phase 1A (health care workers, medical first responders, those who work in congregate settings or live in long-term care facilities) and part of Phase 1B (age 75 and over or over 16 with a health condition that puts them at risk of COVID complications) are eligible to get shots. In the state system you register online or by phone, and registration has been a challenge for elderly people with health conditions and connectivity issues — which could explain why as of Tuesday only 44% of the 75-and-older age group had received the first shot.

Based on the fact nearly 75% of COVID-19 deaths in New Mexico are ages 65 and up, the state’s prioritization hardly sounds “data-driven.” Several hundred thousand New Mexicans ages 65-74 are ranked in priority behind about 600,000 who are 16 and over with a health condition. Random? Perhaps. Fair and equitable? Given the state’s goal, that’s questionable.

The Journal reported this week New Mexico is one of four states that limit eligibility based on age to 75 and older — though the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends 65 and older.

And the Journal continues to hear from frustrated readers. One woman detailed how she and her husband, ages 90 and 79 respectively, registered at the NMDOH website Jan. 13. While she got her first shot Jan. 20, her husband got an event code for a vaccination at the Hispanic Cultural Center but couldn’t get a time slot online. He called the COVID-19 hotline and was told that meant there were no slots available. As of Sunday, he hadn’t been able to schedule a vaccination despite trying to get a new code and being turned away at the Cultural Center. “He has been lost in the bureaucracy,” his wife wrote. “It is disgraceful we talk about the importance of vaccinating those of our community over 75 but this is how we were treated.”

Another woman wrote her family has six members ages 59 to 86. The youngest has received one shot, three have received both. “However my 65-year-old brother, who has major heart and lung issues, has not even been scheduled for the first. My 86-yearold mother has a circulatory auto-immune disease, diabetes and high blood pressure. Her appointment was canceled with no explanation and has not been rescheduled.” She added: “I can see why people are so aggravated, skeptical and mistrustful.”

Vaccinating an entire population is a daunting task, and New Mexico has done an impressive job of distributing the vaccines it receives — which are far below demand.

But the state should embrace President Biden’s approach and work with other outlets — rather than trying to have government dictate who gets every single dose, where and at what time. The public would benefit, and that’s supposed to be the point.