Denby Fawcett: Why So Few People Are Getting The New Covid Shot
Experts are worried about the lack of interest as people are still suffering from the virus and long Covid. By Denby Fawcett Original article on Civil Beat, November 7, 2023 I keep a card in my wallet that says I have been injected six different times to protect against Covid. So far, I have avoided the coronavirus and I want to keep it that way, especially when thinking about the life altering changes of long Covid. One of my relatives has been battered by long Covid for almost two years. Even a short walk down the block to her neighborhood park leaves her dizzy and exhausted. At home, she battles [...]
Wastewater Samples Show Higher COVID Concentrations & New Subvariant
The Hawai‘i State Department of Health’s most recent Wastewater Surveillance Report documents two significant developments about COVID-19 in Hawai‛i. Higher concentrations of the virus that causes COVID-19 The arrival of the XBB.1.5 subvariant Higher concentrations in wastewater can be an early indicator the number of COVID-19 infections is increasing. “The wastewater data is concerning, but not alarming,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble. “The detection of higher virus concentrations means we should closely monitor case counts and hospitalizations for a possible surge in cases and be ready to respond should a surge materialize.” Case counts have been relatively stable since [...]
Bivalent boosters for keiki as young as 6 months
Updated COVID-19 bivalent boosters are now available in all counties for keiki as young as six months of age. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) amended the emergency use authorization for the bivalent boosters by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech to include keiki sized boosters earlier this month. “The authorization of these updated bivalent vaccines comes at a good time,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. “Now young children can get the same protection adults have as families gather for the holidays.” “As this virus has changed, and immunity from previous COVID-19 vaccination wanes, the more people who keep [...]
Safe holidays include bivalent boosters
New data from the CDC shows updated bivalent boosters provide significant additional protection against symptomatic COVID-19 in people who previously received two, three, or four monovalent vaccine doses. Research also shows people 12 and older who have received a bivalent booster are 15 times less likely to die from COVID-19 than people who have not been vaccinated. “Vaccinations and boosters are a great way to protect yourself and your loved ones from COVID-19,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. “You still have time to get your shots and enjoy the full protection [...]
New Study Supports Bivalent Boosters
You will be hard pressed to find a better Black Friday deal than a COVID-19 bivalent booster shot. They are free! And new data shows bivalent mRNA booster formulations provide significant additional protection against symptomatic COVID-19 infections. The new data prompted Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, to say, “Please, for your own safety, for that of your family, get your updated COVID-19 shot as soon as you’re eligible to protect yourself, your family and your community.” The new data comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It is the first real-world data [...]
Protect Your ʻOhana – Get Boosted Before the Holidays
With the holiday season just around the corner, many Hawaiʻi residents are making plans to gather with family and friends or take a trip that was put off during the height of the pandemic. While case counts have remained fairly steady for the past two months, COVID-19 is still in our community. In its Nov. 9 weekly COVID update, the Hawaiʻi Department of Health reported 1,288 new cases—and sadly, five deaths. DOH also reported that just 16.5% of eligible Hawaiʻi residents received a bivalent booster since the updated vaccines became available. Getting a bivalent [...]
Protect Yourself from Flu and COVID
COVID-19 case counts inched up slightly this week but have remained fairly steady for the past two months. The CDC ranks COVID-19 community levels as being low in Honolulu, Hawai‘i, Maui, and Kaua‘i Counties. It is impossible to predict how long the levels will remain low. Getting a bivalent booster now will help protect you in the event case counts climb this winter. Doctors suggest that when you are at a pharmacy or clinic, get your booster and take advantage of the opportunity to also get your flu shot. This week is officially the [...]
Wastewater surveillance tracks COVID-19 in Hawai‘i
The public has a new tool for monitoring COVID-19 trends and the prevalence of COVID-19 variants in Hawai‘i. It is the COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Report. The report summarizes SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in wastewater samples collected on O‘ahu, Hawai‘i Island, Maui, and Kaua‘i. It also provides updates on the abundance of various SARS-CoV-2 variants in Hawai‘i. (SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.) The Hawai‘i Department of Health State Laboratories Division (SLD) published the first edition of the COVID-19 Wastewater Surveillance Report on September 27 and the second edition on October 11. “Data in these reports [...]
Bivalent boosters authorized for kids 5-11
Children as young as 5 years old can now get COVID-19 bivalent booster shots and receive bivalent booster protection previously available only to people age 12 and older. On Wednesday, October 12 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued Emergency Use Authorization for the bivalent booster manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech for children ages 5-11 and the bivalent booster manufactured by Moderna for children and teens ages 6-17. Soon thereafter, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and DOH recommended bivalent boosters for everyone age five and older. “This is great news for parents who [...]
COVID-19 Reinfections More Common
Since the emergence of the Omicron variant in Hawai‘i, a greater percentage of COVID-19 cases involve people who have been infected multiple times. On Wednesday, the Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) added 10,995 reinfections to the total number of COVID-19 cases on its Disease Outbreak and Control Division (DOCD) data dashboard. These cases date back to September 2020 when the first known reinfection was recorded. Prior to Wednesday, case counts on the dashboard displayed the number of unique individuals whose positive tests had been reported to DOH. People who tested positive multiple times were counted just once. “The data on [...]