New Mexico urges flu, COVID immunization for children

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — State health officials are encouraging the immunization of children against flu and COVID-19 without making changes to its list of other vaccines required for school entry in the fall of 2023. The New Mexico Department of Health announced Wednesday its school immunization requirements for the next school year. There were no changes to the list of mandatory immunizations for maladies including measles, mumps, tetanus, polio and chicken pox. Immunization for flu, coronavirus and papillomavirus at appropriate ages are recommended but not required. Health officials are seeing an influx of young children getting sick with COVID-19, flu and respiratory syncytial virus.