As New Mexico mask mandate follows CDC guidance, how many state residents are fully vaccinated?

New Mexico is adopting guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention allowing those who have been fully vaccinated to not have to wear a mask in most indoor or outdoor spaces.

The state's department of health announced on May 14 that its public health order would be amended, in effect dropping the state's mask order for those who are fully vaccinated in most indoor and outdoor spaces.

Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine. In the case of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, it's two weeks after the single dose.

The new guidance from the CDC still calls for everyone to wear masks in crowded indoor settings such as buses, airports, hospitals, prisons and homeless shelters but eases the recommendation for fully vaccinated people in other settings. In New Mexico, masks continue to be required in schools for all students and staff regardless of vaccination status.

CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky emphasized the importance of more people getting vaccinated to protect themselves, reduce the caseload and reduce the risk of a new spike or new variants. She also gave a caveat to the new guidance.

"If you develop symptoms, you should put your mask back on and get tested right away," Walensky said. "The science is also very clear about unvaccinated people: You remain at risk of mild or severe illness of death or spreading the disease to others. You should still mask, and you should get vaccinated right away."

How many New Mexicans are vaccinated?

On the same day the New Mexico Department of Health announced an update to the public health order, it reported 51% of New Mexicans 16 and older had been fully vaccinated. More than 62% of state residents in that demographic have received at least one dose, according to state data.

The state is now administering the Pfizer vaccine for COVID-19 to children ages 12 to 15 following authorizations by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

For a breakdown showing up-to-date numbers on vaccination rates by county and by state based on total population, consult the graphics below, which use federal rather than state data.

New Mexico vaccination rate

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US vaccination rate by state

This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: As New Mexico mask mandate follows CDC guidance, how many state residents are fully vaccinated?

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