Navajo Nation hits vaccination goal early

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — In an effort to get more people to mass-vaccination clinics, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez lifted the Nation’s weekend lockdown restrictions.

The Nation set out to distribute 100,000 vaccines by the end of February, and was able to reach that goal this weekend. Now, the new goal is to vaccinate 120,000 people with the first dose of the vaccine by March 1.

Navajo health officials are now administering the vaccine to any adult who want the shot.

“Overall, we were looking at our numbers just a couple of days ago, of all the elders 65 and over. Right now we’re at 84 percent of the elders have gotten their vaccine,” said one health care worker.

Only around 40 percent of adults aged 16 to 65 have received the vaccine so far—a number they want to be higher.

“We are eager to get our whole community vaccinated and we are excited so many people have come out and got it,” the health care worker said.

For more information about future vaccine clinics on the Navajo Nation, click here.