State says safeguards in place to help prevent people from skipping COVID-19 vaccine line

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.- The state is working to prevent people from gaming the system and jumping the COVID-19 vaccine line.

There have been reports of people who have cheated the system by entering false information on the state’s COVID-19 vaccination sign-up portal.

According to the Department of Health, there is a verification process for people receiving the vaccine.

Workers in each category are required to verify their employment.

People with chronic illnesses "should be prepared to verify medically qualifying conditions,” according to the state.

A spokesperson for the state says “the vast majority of New Mexicans are being honest when they register. That’s the right thing to do—and doing anything else could cost lives."

Some people who are in line for the vaccine believe more should be done to make sure nobody skips the line.

Virginia King, 77, says she’s been patiently waiting since she signed up.

"I’m just waiting for the phone call, and I figure with people who have to have it in front of me," she said. "And I don’t have a problem with that. People that have underlying conditions and I think some of the essential workers should come before me, like grocery store clerks.

King said what she has a problem with is learning people who aren’t eligible to receive the vaccine getting the shot before those who are higher risk.

"I have a problem with people going in and saying I need a shot because they heard if they said they had a kidney problem then they would go first, so they do, but I’m not sure that there’s proof that they do," King said.

Click here to sign up for the COVID-19 vaccine