All New Mexico adults now eligible for Covid booster shots; mask mandate extended

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico -- Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order Friday expanding Covid-19 booster shot eligibility to all New Mexico adults and extending the state's indoor mask mandate through at least Dec. 10.

The moves are in response to surging rates of infection that state health officials are partly linking to waning immunity among the vaccinated.

“As we have throughout this unpredictable and unprecedented global pandemic, we always stand ready to quickly implement new tools and policies in our fight against this terrible disease,” Lujan Grisham said during a visit to a Las Cruces school on Friday. “I strongly encourage every New Mexican to register for a booster today – we have appointments available and are ready to get shots in arms.”

New Mexico is joining other states, like California and Colorado, that have also made boosters available to all adults 18 and older.

New Mexicans adults may now schedule a booster shot if:  

• They received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine more than two months ago OR
• They completed the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine series more than six months ago

New Mexicans can sign up for initial vaccinations and booster shots at VaccineNM.org. Instructions for scheduling children’s vaccinations are also available by clicking here.

State data shows more than 28% of coronavirus infections confirmed over the last four weeks in New Mexico have been among the vaccinated. Still, state health officials touted the vaccines as a way to prevent serious illness or death.

Meantime, the governor also extended the public health order, meaning masks must still be worn in all public indoor spaces.

Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. David Scrase said in a statement Friday that case counts are significant, spread rates are far too high and that the Delta variant is far more transmissible than previous variants.

“Those factors absolutely make New Mexico a high-risk setting," he said.

Scrase also pointed to New Mexico's overburdened health care system, noting that some hospitals have enacted crisis standards of care. Under the designation, a hospital can delay non-medically necessary procedures so health care workers can focus on those patients who need emergency care.