Vaccinations

The New Mexico Department of Health announced Wednesday it will continue to recommend its full suite of childhood vaccinations despite a recent shakeup of federal vaccine guidelines. The announcement comes on the heels of an unprecedented change at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention slashing childhood recommendations from 17 to 11 total vaccines.

Although New Mexico’s measles outbreak is officially over, people could have been exposed to the virus by an out-of-state traveller who stayed at an Albuquerque hotel in late December. On Tuesday the Department of Health announced the exposure incident at the Quality Inn near Juan Tabo Boulevard and I-40.

Under new federal recommendations, it is now up to parents to decide to give their infants the hepatitis B vaccine when their mothers have tested negative for the virus.

The New Mexico Department of Health announced Monday that it “continues to strongly recommend” hepatitis B vaccinations for all newborns. The announcement comes after federal guidance issued Friday that it’s not necessary if the mother tests negative for the virus.

New Mexico is officially clear of the measles outbreak that began February 14. That’s the word from the state’s Department of Health.

The New Mexico Department of Health is offering free vaccinations to children 18 years and under at locations across the state until the end of August. The program is intended to get kids protected, and make sure they meet school vaccination requirements as they head back to the classroom for a new year.

The country is dealing with one of the largest measles outbreaks since the respiratory virus was declared eliminated in 2000, leading to a child’s death this week in Texas — the first life lost to the disease in 10 years. In response, the New Mexico Department of Health launched a measles resource guide, including frequently asked questions, best practices and a case tracker.

As we head into the holiday season and gather with family and friends, it’s also the time for respiratory diseases to hit their peak.

As advocates in the city continue to call for justice after a SWAT standoff last week resulted in a boy’s death, the Albuquerque Police Department is facing a huge backlog of investigations into officers using force and violence, according to a federal monitor overseeing police reform.

States around the Mountain West are seeing an uptick in COVID-19 cases, and it’s started to affect some tribes, too. The Navajo Nation’s increase in cases is modest compared to surges in states like Arizona, though.