A little-known advisory committee for the state Department of Health is about to be thrown into the spotlight as it takes up recommending whether to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine for public school students.While the Vaccine Advisory Committee isn’t scheduled to meet until next month, its work is turning into an election year issue in the hotly contested governor’s race.
Last week, Sen. Gregg Schmedes, R-Tijeras, penned a letter to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham asking whether she supported mandating the COVID-19 vaccine for schoolchildren.“A prompt and precise response to this question would be appreciated,” Schmedes wrote in the letter to Lujan Grisham, a Democrat running for reelection against Republican Mark Ronchetti.
Schmedes said Monday he has yet to receive a response from the governor. He also said his letter to Lujan Grisham was “absolutely” linked to the governor’s race. He noted other governors across the country have made their stances known after a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee recommended adding the COVID-19 vaccine to immunization schedules. New Mexico’s Vaccine Advisory Committee will consider the CDC recommendation in its review.