The Eastern New Mexico News - Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

The New Mexico Department of Health launched a COVID-19 vaccine registration website last week. Registrants on the site will be notified when they are qualified to receive the vaccine once it becomes more widely available.

The website allows individuals to register as well as employers.

Those in Phase 1a who are qualified to receive a vaccine now and have registered have several options on the home page to schedule their appointment, reschedule an existing appointment, and find appointment details.

For individuals who are not included in Phase 1a of New Mexico’s vaccination plan, and do not have a special event code for getting vaccinated, all that is required to be registered for future availability is name, date of birth, location, email, phone number, and employer and occupation information.

The employer registration section allows entities to submit a list of employees who are opting to be vaccinated when it becomes available to them. The NMDOH supplies an employee list template for registrants to use.

On the list the employer is to provide employee information such as their name, date of birth, gender, address, phone number, email, and emergency contact. After that the employee submits their facility’s name, address, and contact information.

Once that information is entered registrants will be taken to a page that details information about Phase 1 of vaccine distribution. The page also alerts registrants outside of Phase 1a that they are unlikely to receive a vaccine until early 2021, depending on risk and occupation.

The major groups the NMDOH says will be prioritized are essential workers identified by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and those at a higher risk for serious health complication from the virus.

The latest decision made by the committee on Dec. 20 recommended that people 75 and above and frontline essential workers be added to Phase 1b of vaccine distribution. They also added those aged 65 to 75, people 16 to 64 with high-risk conditions, and all other essential workers to Phase 1c — according to an early release on the Center for Disease Control’s website.

After completing registration individuals will receive a text message noting more information will be sent by text and email when vaccines become available.

Information not included in the registration is whether or not an individual has high-risk health conditions. Having high-risk conditions will mean that a person can be vaccinated in Phase 1c, but the NMDOH has not yet provided information on how these people will be alerted via this website.

To register for the vaccine online go to: https://cvvaccine.nmhealth.org/