I had to reach out to tell you some important news, John: New Mexico has one of the top ten most successful vaccination programs in the country.

Right now, over 80% of adult New Mexicans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and this number will grow in the coming weeks as we continue to convince vaccine-hesitant individuals to protect themselves against the virus and end the pandemic.

As a majority-minority state, it was crucial for my administration to provide equitable access to the vaccine for Hispanic and Native Americans – because health disparities make these communities especially vulnerable to COVID-19. I'm proud to say that soon after we rolled out our vaccination program, we became one of the top-performing states in terms of vaccine equity.

We're well on our way to herd immunity in New Mexico, but we're not out of the woods yet. As the delta variant spreads, I've taken immediate action to keep New Mexicans safe by reinstating a mask mandate for most indoor settings and requiring vaccines for those who work in high-risk areas like hospitals and nursing homes.

As former Cabinet Secretary of New Mexico's Department of Health, I'll never stop following scientific guidance to save lives from this virus – no matter what misinformation my political opponents and extremists spread about the severity of COVID-19 or the efficacy of vaccines. I want to know what YOU think of my administration's handling of the pandemic so far.

My team is conducting a live poll to find out what New Mexicans think about my pandemic response. Your response will send a clear message to those COVID deniers and opponents of sensible and critical public health measures that New Mexicans support following the science to keep our citizens safe, so I'm counting on you to lock in your answer before our survey closes at midnight tonight

I'm so grateful for all you've done to keep yourself and your neighbors healthy during this pandemic. I know it hasn't been easy, but we're pulling through together.

Michelle Lujan Grisham

P.S. If you or a loved one have not been vaccinated against COVID-19, please sign up to get a safe, effective and free vaccine at vaccineNM.org.