Threading the Needle

Anti-vaxxers spot a loophole in New Mexico’s immunization law—one the state’s known about for years, but that’s proven hard to close

[Photo Illustration: Anson Stevens-Bollen]

The New Mexico Department of Health began to sound warnings in March; by then, the scope of the nation's largest measles outbreak since the 1990s had snapped into focus.

Reports popped up in the state's newspapers and on local television broadcasts. Department officials urged parents to vaccinate their children and warned people who suspected infection to contact the DOH before walking into a clinic.

It seemed like a proactive attempt to head off a potentially serious threat. But a review of data and documents acquired by SFR through a series of public records requests tells a different story. It's one of ignored warning signs, bureaucratic errors and missed opportunities to close a loophole that allows more children to go to school without required vaccinations.

John R. Roby, writing for the Santa Fe Reporter, uncovers this great story about vaccination loopholes in New Mexico. It’s well-worth a read.