Moderna vaccine now an option for children ages 6-17
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting the CDC recommendation that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine be used as an option for children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 years. The COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech is already available for people in this age group. “Vaccine eligibility is now simple and easy to understand. Everyone 6-months and older is now eligible for these life-saving vaccines,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. “I strongly encourage parents to get their kids vaccinated. The vaccines are safe. They are effective. They work. This is a chance to give your child the [...]
Children under five eligible for COVID-19 vaccines
Parents encouraged to explore vaccination opportunities HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is excited to announce long awaited COVID-19 vaccines for keiki under the age of five will soon be available. DOH is authorizing enrolled COVID-19 vaccination providers to administer the vaccines as soon as they become available. DOH is expecting delivery of 27,500 doses of the new keiki vaccines in the coming week. The vaccines will be distributed to hospitals, pediatricians’ offices, and clinics. Pharmacies and community health centers will receive additional vaccine shipments directly from the manufacturers. Vaccines for keiki under five will be available on [...]
Local Vlogger Details His Family’s Experience With COVID-19
For three years the YouTube channel “Hello from Hawaii” has been providing talk-story type videos about life in Hawai‘i from the viewpoint of one local family. The video blogs include discussions about contemporary issues big and small such as the realities of buying a home, what aloha shirts locals wear as opposed to tourists, and a look at race and discrimination in the Aloha State. But when the entire family, including the pregnant wife and 2-year-old child, all caught COVID-19 the talk became very serious. Sitting side-by-side on their living room sofa, the couple speaks directly into the camera as [...]
Celebrate graduates safely
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) salutes the Class of 2022. DOH recognizes the importance of graduations and what they mean to Hawai’i families. DOH encourages graduates and their families to celebrate safely. Here are tips to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 while honoring our graduates. Celebrate outdoors Wear masks outdoors if crowded Wear masks indoors Reduce indoor gathering sizes Have multiple small get-togethers rather than one large event Use fans and open windows to improve ventilation Spread out and maintain distance Hawai‘i is averaging more than 925 new cases of COVID-19 every day. The true number [...]
Keiki ages 5-11 eligible for COVID-19 boosters, Second booster shots recommended for 50+ and immunocompromised
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting guidance from the CDC recommending boosters for children ages 5 through 11 and strengthening booster recommendations for others. Children ages 5 through 11 are encouraged to receive a COVID-19 booster shot five months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination. “It’s exciting that children 5 to 11 years of age can now get added protection from a booster shot. This is especially important at a time when COVID-19 case counts are increasing across the state,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. The CDC today strengthened its second booster recommendation for [...]
Pandemic Creates Urgent Need to Address Youth Mental Health Crisis
The U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory in December 2021 highlighting the urgent need to address our nation’s ongoing youth mental health crisis which has been significantly expanded by the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Scott Shimabukuro, acting administrator for the Hawai‘i Department of Health’s Child & Adolescent Mental Health Division (CAMHD), said children in Hawai‘i have suffered from the stress and isolation imposed on them during the pandemic and now need supportive families and medical resources to help them recover. "For our kids to bounce back and thrive, families need to demonstrate the ability to appropriately express emotions with each other; [...]
Media Availability With Dr. Sarah Kemble and Acting DOE Superintendent Keith Hayashi
State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble and Hawai‘i Department of Education Acting Superintendent Keith Hayashi discuss the COVID-19 numbers released today and COVID’s continued impact on schools. Recorded on 05/11/2022.
Translations Provide Critical COVID-19 Information for Non-English Speakers
Hawaiʻi’s diverse ethnic population means that about one in four residents speak a language other than English at home – higher than the U.S. average of 21 percent. In 2006, the Hawaiʻi legislature recognized that language is a barrier for individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) and passed Hawaiʻi’s Language Access law to ensure that LEP individuals have meaningful access to state-funded services. "Hawaiʻi has diverse communities and health information should be translated so it can be shared with those who can't understand or are limited English proficient,” said May Rose Dela Cruz, Director of Health Equity and Research for [...]
Where to Get Your COVID-19 Vaccination Now
As the number of COVID-19 cases has declined in Hawai‘i and healthcare providers have pulled back from running large vaccination and testing clinics statewide, there are still many options available for residents to get their vaccinations, boosters, and COVID-19 tests. “COVID-19 vaccines are still readily available across the state. Large operations that could accommodate hundreds of people a day have closed, but vaccines are still easy to get at pharmacies, community health centers, doctor’s offices and elsewhere,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble. All Hawai‘i residents age 5 and above are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. The DOH is following [...]
Additional booster shots available
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting the most recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding COVID-19 booster shots. Effective immediately, people who received their first booster shot at least four months ago may receive a second booster shot of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) if: They are over the age of 50 They are 12 or older and have a compromised immune system They received primary and booster doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine “Additional booster shots allow people in these select populations to get extra protection against severe illness. [...]