SantaFeToday.com Santa Fe’s Hometown News
By City of Santa Fe
On last Friday’s WebberCast on the Mayor Alan Webber Facebook page, Dr. Wendy Johnson, Medical Director of La Familia Medical Center, offered clarification and information about the rapidly progressing vaccination process in Santa Fe. (And she agreed to provide regular updates on the WebberCast as the community-as-a-whole continues to move from being a “red” County to a “yellow” County and ultimately a “green” County—allowing us to open up our economy and our lives as we “bend the curve” of the virus.)
Here are some of the key takeaways from Dr. Johnson:
- “We’re in a race against time,” said Dr. Johnson. “If everyone gets vaccinated and we quash the spread, it won’t have a chance to mutate and create new variants—and that’s the way we’re going to get out of the pandemic.” The good news in the race is that the supply of vaccine, which was insufficient and unpredictable until recently, is becoming more regular, which enables better planning.
- The vaccine distribution rollout is poised to take off.
- The National Guard and FEMA will soon be providing support in vaccine administration, as President Biden’s team takes hold at the Federal level.
- There is a “mega-collaborative” process and plan between area hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, the DOH, the City, and the County.
- When the weather gets warmer, there will be drive-through vaccinations.
- La Familia plans to address the needs of the homeless population. This is an important part of controlling the spread of the virus among some of our most vulnerable residents.
- The Department of Health website remains the single best source of up-to-date information about the disease and vaccinations. Register here to receive the vaccine when your turn comes: cvvaccine.nmhealth.org
- That said, if you are in an eligible group—currently 75-plus or with an underlying condition or co-morbidity like chronic heart disease, hypertension, obesity, lung disease, diabetes, or cancer/history of cancer—contact your personal care provider to ensure your priority status.
- To see how Santa Fe County and the State of New Mexico are doing with vaccinations, visit the DOH vaccination dashboard site: cvvaccine.nmhealth.org/public-dashboard.html Currently, almost 25 percent of Santa Fe County has been vaccinated, fifth best in the State.
You can watch the recorded WebberCast interview on the Mayor Alan Webber Facebook page, and tune in for Dr. Johnson’s next update on Friday afternoon.
