Got Shots clinics open statewide for back-to-school vaccines

Sandoval County families got an early warning that school paperwork and vaccine records cannot wait until August. The New Mexico Department of Health said its Got Shots clinics were open statewide from June 13 through Aug. 29, giving parents a summer window to get children ready for school before registration headaches turn into delays.

The clinics were open to children from birth through age 18, and no insurance was required. NMDOH said no child would be turned away for lack of coverage, and families were asked to bring a vaccination record and an insurance card if they had one. The department said at least 63 public health offices, community health centers and private practices were taking part statewide, with some sites offering evening and weekend hours for working families.

Parents were also told to call ahead to check whether an appointment was needed. Help was available through the NMDOH Helpline at 1-833-SWNURSE, or 1-833-796-8773, and by text at 66364. For Sandoval County households balancing summer jobs, childcare and school registration, that kind of advance planning can make the difference between a quick stop and a missed deadline.

The state’s school rules are strict. New Mexico law allows only medical or religious exemptions from immunization requirements, and it does not allow philosophical or personal exemptions. Schools with kindergarten and or 7th grade must submit an immunization survey by Nov. 1 each year, which puts pressure on districts long before the first cold snap of fall. Rio Rancho Public Schools has already told families that students must meet New Mexico Department of Health immunization requirements to attend school or have an approved exemption.

The urgency is not just bureaucratic. NMDOH reported 17 measles cases in New Mexico as of June 1, and the department said the state’s 2025 measles outbreak was its first since 1996 and its largest in decades, with 100 cases and one death. Health officials say two doses of MMR vaccine provide the best protection against measles, making back-to-school vaccination timing a public health issue as much as a school-readiness one.

For Sandoval County, the message was clear: the state opened the summer clinic window early enough to avoid a late-August scramble, but families still have to use it. The June 13 through Aug. 29 schedule, free access and broad statewide participation gave parents a real path to compliance before classrooms fill and records are checked.