As part of National Infant Immunization Week, April 24 to 30, New Mexico Department of Health encourages families to stay on track with children’s medical checkups and recommended vaccinations.
“Giving babies the recommended vaccinations by age two is the best way to protect them from serious childhood diseases, like whooping cough and measles,” said DOH secretary Patrick M. Allen in a news release. “Vaccination is a shared responsibility. I’m grateful for the families, health care professionals, and public health officials working together to help protect their communities.”
National Infant Immunization Week focuses on children under 2 years old, but children of all ages in the state saw a drop in vaccination rates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although vaccine rates are rising, they have not yet returned to normal.
For older children in the state, “vaccine catch up” events, where children may receive back-to-school vaccines, will take place July 8 to Aug. 31. Locations for these events will be announced this summer.
The DOH said in a news release that the U.S. has a long-standing vaccine safety system that ensures vaccines are as safe as possible. As new information and science become available, vaccine recommendations are monitored, updated and improved.
The 2023-2024 school and day care immunization requirements are available at www.nmhealth.org.
Families may check which vaccines their child has already received online at www.VaxViewNM.org or by calling 1 (833) 882-6454.
