Gov. urges New Mexicans to get flu shots

governor richardson takes to the airwaves with a flu-fighting message ... but it's leaving a lot ...  More »

governor richardson takes to the airwaves with a flu-fighting message ... but it's leaving a lot of new mexicans asking - what's the point? stuart dyson is here with a look at ads that may be out of step with reality. it's all about flu vaccines - the governor and the lieutenant governor urging us to go get our shots - when the reality is there are no shots to get for most of us. " i'm governor bill richardson - in new mexico we're well prepared for h1n1 and seasonal flu." the governor's new tv ad advises us to stay home if we're sick - keep sick kids out of school - plus this. " and if you're high risk - get vaccinated against both flu strains." lieutenant governor diane denish's ad focuses more o hygiene and prevention - but gets to a similar point. " if you're at high risk get a vaccination against both flu strains - your children are at high risk and you are at high risk if you are pregnant - minute thumbnail 06:05 pm have a chronic health condition or care for an infant." trouble is both vaccines are in short supply and getting them is hard - even for some high-risk new mexicans. " all we hear in the news is that they don't have enough vaccinations for kids - plus my wife's pregnant - so she still hasn't got vaccinated - we're kind of on a waiting list - what kind of waiting list i don't know." " for one thing my kids have asthma so they're more likely to get it. q: they're in that high risk category? a: yes. q: still you haven't been informed about any clinics or anything? a: no. q: how does that make you feel? a: angry - makes me feel very angry." the state health department says new mexico is getting less than one percent of the vaccine as it's produced - the feds dole it out based on each stat'e's share of the population. " to date we've received - we've been able to order - what was it - 186 thousand doses - which sounds like a lot but school age children count for about a half a million." minute thumbnail 06:06 pm the governor's office says while vaccine shipments have been slower than expected - that doesn't take away from the importance of the prevention and preparation message - and more vaccine is arriving each and every week - back to you.  « Less