by Mescalero Apache Tribe | March 26, 2021 4:30 pm
SANTA FE – Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Friday afternoon received her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine alongside community members at a Department of Health vaccination site at Desert Sage Academy in Santa Fe.
The New Mexico Department of Health last week announced it was expanding vaccine eligibility[1] to phases 1B and 1C of the state’s prioritization criteria[2]. As supply from the federal government increases, the state is able to expand eligibility and reach more New Mexicans who have registered and are awaiting a vaccine.
As of Thursday[3] New Mexico had administered almost 1.1 million total doses and remains among the nation’s leaders in per-capita vaccine distribution[4]. Forty percent[5] of New Mexicans as of Thursday had received at least one shot, and 24.2 percent were fully vaccinated.
Gov. Lujan Grisham, 61, joins the now 49 percent of New Mexicans aged 60 to 74 who have already received at least one shot[6] from the state, according to Department of Health data as of March 25.
Pool photography for news media, courtesy of the Albuquerque Journal and to be credited to photographer Eddie Moore, will be available at this link[7].
The governor issued the following statement:
“I know many elected leaders, including governors, have gotten their shots before now, but it was important to me to wait until it was my turn in the priority list – just like we have asked so many New Mexicans to wait their turn, and to be patient, to trust the process is moving as quickly as it can, and to keep wearing our masks and physically distancing to protect each other and our families.
“I don’t like needles, so I’ll be honest with New Mexicans and say that I was a little nervous. But it means I get to see my mom sooner. It means I’m doing my part to help end the pandemic. And it means I’m doing my part to help protect New Mexico. So, despite that fear, getting my shot today was an absolute no-brainer.
“The entire experience was well-organized, professional, quick and painless, and I will continue to enthusiastically encourage New Mexicans to register with the Department of Health[8] and step up to get their shot when it’s their turn for an appointment. Day by day, shot by shot, we are, all together, moving closer to the end of this awful pandemic.
“I want all New Mexicans to know that the Department of Health is getting shots into arms just as efficiently as we receive them from the federal administration – more efficiently than any state in the country[9]. I couldn’t be prouder to lead a state government that is setting an example for the entire nation for safe, equitable and rapid COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
“Just as our health officials have asked all New Mexicans to do, I will keep wearing my mask and I will keep up the physical distancing to protect myself, my family and my neighbors. It’s the most important thing each of us can do to maintain the incredible progress we’ve made as a state in suppressing the virus.
“I firmly believe New Mexico can be the first state in the nation to vaccinate every eligible adult. For that to happen, we need all New Mexicans to be patient and be ready to step up when it’s their turn, and I was humbled to have the chance to do that this afternoon.”
The governor received the Pfizer shot. Like any New Mexican taking part in a Department of Health vaccine clinic, she did not choose which shot she received. The governor encourages New Mexicans to follow the guidance of health officials who advise that residents should take whichever COVID-19 shot is offered to them.
Source URL: https://mescaleroapachetribe.com/14338/governor-lujan-grisham-receives-covid-19-vaccine/
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