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This State Has Already Vaccinated Most Adult Residents. Here’s How.

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Updated Apr 2, 2021, 11:40pm EDT

Topline

New Mexico on Friday became the first state to hand out Covid-19 vaccine shots to more than half of its adult residents, speeding ahead of the national average, a feat locals have tied to the state’s unique demographics and tight collaboration with healthcare providers.

Key Facts

New Mexico has given at least one vaccine dose to over 820,000 people, or 50.6% of its adult population, 11 points above the nationwide vaccination rate, according to figures released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The state also leads the country in fully vaccinated people, at 31.8% of adults.

New Mexico has credited its success to a centralized vaccine registration portal, which links together almost every clinic in the state and allows New Mexico to quickly use up its available doses, state Department of Health spokesperson Matt Bieber told Forbes.

New Mexico officials also touted strong local partnerships across the large, sparsely populated state: Health officials regularly speak with county governments about weekly discrepancies in vaccine supply and other granular issues, Bieber said.

Local healthcare providers also talk with the state on a weekly basis, said University of New Mexico Hospitals CEO Kate Becker, who runs an Albuquerque vaccine clinic.

Plus, New Mexico has a large Native American population, which bolsters vaccination rates because the federal Indian Health Service sends doses directly to healthcare providers in many of the state’s tribes and pueblos.

In particular, the Navajo Nation has given shots to over 120,000 people across New Mexico and other nearby states, a success tribe officials have linked to strong early communication efforts: “I think people want to establish herd immunity,” said Dr. Jill Jim, the Navajo Nation's health director.

Crucial Quote

“Our geography is vast, but our population is relatively small,” Becker said. “We’ve had a long history of having to collaborate across big distances to figure out solutions.”

Surprising Fact

New Mexico was stricter about vaccine eligibility than some other states at the start of the year, yet its vaccination rate has surged ahead of less restrictive places like Florida. Bieber says this strategy allowed the state to concentrate on vulnerable groups like people over 75. New Mexico is not alone: An Associated Press analysis from last week found states with strict eligibility rules have vaccinated more people than states that opened the floodgates early, possibly because less restrictive states were unable to handle the demand.

Tangent

Most states have struggled to hand out vaccine doses equally, and New Mexico isn’t an exception. Just 24.9% of African Americans and 30.6% of Latinos in the state have gotten at least one dose, compared to a 40.9% rate for white New Mexicans, according to state data. Bieber says the state hopes to narrow this equity gap by sending extra doses to areas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention determines to be more socially vulnerable.

What To Watch For

New Mexico will make all adults eligible for the vaccine starting Monday, slightly behind states like Texas and Florida but ahead of California and Virginia.

Big Number

39.2%. That’s the share of U.S. adults who have gotten at least one vaccine dose. 

Key Background

Every state has sped up vaccinations in recent weeks, as manufacturers churn out more doses and clinics boost their capacity, but progress is uneven. South Dakota, Connecticut and Alaska have reached more than 45% of adults, while Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama lag behind at fewer than one-third of adults vaccinated.

Further Reading

A rapid COVID-19 vaccine rollout backfired in some US states (Associated Press)

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