Book club plots to vaccinate community

Many of us have been part of a book club at some point — it involves reading a book, meeting with friends and perhaps drinking some wine. But a group that calls itself the Fabulous Ladies Book Club took it one step further. 

Dr. Keri Rath is one of two OB/GYNs in her New Mexico county. So when she was asked to help vaccinate her community, she didn't think twice. 

"I've watched our ICUs overflow," an emotional Rath said. "I'm going to try not to cry when I talk about it. We needed a way to extricate ourselves. I felt like this was how we could do it." 

But she knew she couldn't do it alone. So she reached out to the first people that came to mind — her book club. 

"They're my girls. They're who I call when I need something," she said. 

It only took one text to the Fabulous Ladies Book Club and they were all in, even those with full-time jobs. 

"I had no idea the magnitude that it would be," KayCee Stahl said. "I'm like, sure!" 

Only the medical professionals give the shots, the rest of the women handle the logistics. After 21 clinics, the Fabulous Ladies are on their way to fully vaccinating 2,300 people. 

"I brought both of my children in to help. We were heading home, my son, he said, 'Mom, I think what you're doing is really special and it's really important,'" Gillian Baudo said. 

Liz Smith said her own family and friends have been motivated by the book club's efforts. 

"I have friends and family in Arizona and in California that are so proud of what we're doing that they've motivated and started volunteering themselves," Smith said. 

"I think a lot of family members, too, their just blown away that there's this little, bitty small town here, population 8,000, and we're getting it done. They're like, 'How come we don't have the vaccine?'" added Jennifer Carey. 

It sounds like a great plot of a good book — a group of women band together to save their town. 

"Yes, it does sound kind of like a great plot," Rath said. "I agree." 

In:
• COVID-19
• Vaccines