Albuquerque Journal

Doña Ana County vaccinates first responders under mandate

Unions object to requiremen­t, cite CDC ruling on vaccine’s status

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LAS CRUCES — County officials in southern New Mexico have said most of the first responders in Doña Ana County, which includes Las Cruces, have received at least one of the two doses of coronaviru­s vaccine under a county mandate, despite questions about requiring the vaccinatio­n.

County employees were told last month they were required to receive COVID-19 vaccines to continue working for the county, despite legal questions about requiring a vaccine only approved for emergency use.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in August that “vaccines are not allowed to be mandatory” while they only have emergency use authorizat­ion.

County Manager Fernando Macias told the Las Cruces Sun-News that 195 county employees out of 203 at the county detention who are subject to the directive were at least partially vaccinated, while the remaining eight had registered or had an approved waiver.

Officials said 140 employees at the Doña Ana Sheriff’s Office had been vaccinated out of 156, and 26 out of the 31 county fire personnel.

Macias confirmed that employees were scheduled to receive COVID-19 vaccinatio­ns Friday, and employees who were ordered to appear on their day off would be compensate­d, he said.

Volunteer firefighte­rs were “strongly encouraged” but not required to receive vaccinatio­n under the same directive. Macias said 29 out of 132 active volunteers were at least partly vaccinated as of Friday. Macias said volunteer firefighte­rs were not included because of limited vaccine supply.

Two labor unions representi­ng first responders questioned the directive and asked the county to come to the bargaining table. The Communicat­ion Workers of America, representi­ng county deputies, filed

a formal demand earlier this month with the county Attorney’s Office, officials said.

However, Macias told the Sun-News that no such demand was pending.

“We have been made aware that employees have been informed that if they refuse to be vaccinated for COVID 19, they will be terminated,” staff representa­tive Robin Gould said in the demand, arguing that the directive would be subject to grievances or prohibited.

Santa Fe attorney Nancy Ana Garner said she has also notified the county of an impending lawsuit seeking an injunction against the directive.

Macias said he would not comment on pending or threatened litigation.

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