New Mexico Register / Volume XXXII,
Issue 22 / November 30, 2021
EXECUTIVE ORDER 2021-062
EXPANDING COVID-19 VACCINE BOOSTER DOSE ELIGIBILITY
TO ALL ADULTS WORKING OR LIVING IN NEW MEXICO
WHEREAS, on January 30, 2020, the World
Health Organization ("WHO") announced the emergence of a novel
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) that had not previously circulated in
humans, but has been found to have adopted to humans such that it is contagious
and easily spread from one person to another and one country to another;
WHEREAS, COVID-19 cases had been
confirmed in New Mexico since March 11, 2020, when the New Mexico Department of
Health confirmed the first cases of individuals infected with COVID-19 in New
Mexico and additional cases have been confirmed each day since then;
WHEREAS, on March 11, 2020, because of
the spread of COVID-19, I issued Executive Order 2020-004 declaring a Public
Health Emergency exists in New Mexico under the Public Health Emergency
Response Act, and invoked my authority under the All Hazards Emergency
Management Act;
WHEREAS, I have renewed the declaration
of a Public Health Emergency through December 10, 2021;
WHEREAS, the currently available
COVID-19 vaccines are a safe and effective way of preventing serious illness or
death;
WHEREAS, new COVID-19 infections
dropped significantly following the States effective rollout of the vaccines
early this year;
WHEREAS, the State recently recorded a
significant surge in new COVID-19 infections beginning in early Fall and
continuing to this day;
WHEREAS, a highly-transmissible
variant, B.1.617.2, commonly known as the Delta variant, now accounts for the
majority of new infections;
WHEREAS, many, if not all, of our
hospitals are operating above capacity to accommodate and treat those infected
with COVID-19;
WHEREAS, the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has authorized booster doses of the COVID-19 vaccines
for, among other populations, individuals 18 years of age and older who live or
work in high risk settings;
WHEREAS, the FDA authorized the booster
doses to be administered two months after receiving the Johnson & Johnson
Janssen vaccine and six months after completing the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna
vaccination series;
WHEREAS, the widespread and ongoing
surge of COVID-19 infections poses a substantial risk to the health, safety,
and wellbeing of all New Mexicans; and
WHEREAS, all vaccinated New Mexicans
are urged to receive a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are
eligible.
NOW THEREFORE, I, Michelle Lujan
Grisham, Governor of the State of New Mexico, by virtue of the authority vested
in me by the Constitution and laws of the State of New Mexico, do hereby DECLARE the entire State of New Mexico
high risk for exposure or transmission of COVID-19 and, therefore, all
individuals 18 years of age and older living or working in this State are now
eligible to receive a safe and effective booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
I FURTHER ORDER and DIRECT as follows:
1. This Order supersedes any previous
orders, proclamations, policies or directives to the extent they are in
conflict.
2. This Order shall take effect on November
12, 2021 and shall remain in effect until renewed, modified, or rescinded.
ATTEST: DONE
AT THE EXECUTIVE OFFICE
THIS
12TH DAY OF NOVEMBER 2021
/ S /
MAGGIE TOULOUSE
OLIVER WITNESS
MY HAND AND THE GREAT
SECRETARY OF
STATE SEAL
OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO
/ S /
MICHELLE
LUJAN GRISHAM GOVERNOR