UpLifting Wellness: July 2025

by Samantha Anne Carrillo

Two travelers—an adult of unknown vaccination status and a vaccinated 18-month-old child—have tested positive for measles while visiting New Mexico, potentially exposing residents in Bernalillo, Santa Fe, and Sandoval counties. The New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH) announced the cases on Friday, June 13. These unrelated infections bring the state’s 2025 measles total to 81 as of June 15, the date of this print report.

Where & When Measles Exposure Happened

Exposure could have occurred between June 2 and June 10 at six public locations: Walmart stores in Albuquerque and Santa Fe, Rio Rancho Aquatic Center, UNM Hospital Urgent Care, El Super, and Albuquerque Sunport. If you visited any of these places during that time, check your vaccination status and monitor for symptoms for the next three weeks.

What to Know: Measles Symptoms & Risks

Measles is a highly contagious virus that can lead to serious illness. Symptoms usually appear 7 to 21 days after exposure and include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a widespread rash. People are contagious from four days before the rash appears until four days after. Complications such as pneumonia and brain swelling (encephalitis) are possible and can be life-threatening.

How to Protect Yourself & Your Community

The most effective protection is vaccination. Two doses of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine provides strong, lasting immunity. Free walk-in MMR vaccinations are available at public health offices throughout New Mexico, including Albuquerque, Santa Fe, Las Cruces, and Farmington.

What to Do If You Have Symptoms

Stay home and call your doctor or the NMDOH Helpline at 1-833-SWNURSE (1-833-796-8773) if you experience fever, cough, red eyes, or a rash. You can also call for help accessing your vaccination records, getting the MMR vaccine, or receiving post-exposure guidance. For more, visit: www.nmhealth.org/about/erd/ideb/mog.

New Mexico Ranks Last for Child Well-Being … Again

New Mexico continues to trail the nation in child well-being and education, according to the 2025 Kids Count Data Book from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. This marks the fourth straight year New Mexico has ranked dead last. The report, which evaluates 2023 data, grades states on child health, education, economic well-being, and family and community conditions.

Some Progress, Stark Inequities Remain

The report shows incremental improvements in school enrollment, graduation rates, and teen birth rates. But New Mexico’s challenges run deep. It ranked 50th in both education and family and community well-being, 49th in economic security, and 46th in health. Read the full report at aecf.org.

Poverty & Job Instability Widespread

A staggering 25 percent of New Mexico’s children live in poverty, tying the state with Louisiana for the highest child poverty rate nationwide. Nearly two-thirds of New Mexico children live in households where parents lack steady employment. While federal assistance programs like SNAP soften the blow for many families, official Census data paints a stark picture of ongoing economic struggle.

Lagging in Learning & Health

New Mexico's educational outcomes remain among the worst in the country: 80 percent of fourth graders are not reading at grade level and 86 percent of eighth graders struggle with math. These troubling numbers reflect a nationwide post-pandemic decline, but New Mexico’s results are especially dire. Child and teen health outcomes are also grim, with some of the nation’s highest rates of death due to firearms and overdoses. In 2023, the child death rate rose to 47 per 100,000, far higher than the national average of 29 per 100,000.

A Call to Action for New Mexico

While the report is sobering, it also spotlights where focused investment can drive change. Early childhood education, family income supports, and mental health services for youth are strategies that could help rewrite New Mexico’s story. Explore the report in its entirety at aecf.org.