Pediatrician Answers Questions About Resuming Regular Keiki Checkups
During the COVID-19 pandemic, some families decided to forgo regular, in-person checkups with their children’s doctor and other healthcare professionals over concerns about the risk of infection. The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) is encouraging parents to resume checkups for children to protect their health with much needed well-child and dental visits, including screenings, dental checkups, and vaccinations. Regular checkups not only track children’s development, but also identify any health problems early to avoid complications and more costly treatment. We asked Dr. Vinson Diep, FAAP, a pediatrician at Kapiʻolani Medical Center for Women & Children, to answer some [...]
State Laboratories Staff ‘Rise to the Occasion’ to Protect Hawaii’s People
For the past two years, the State Laboratories Division (SLD) of the Hawai‘i Department of Health has been very busy analyzing thousands of samples COVID-19 specimens due to the ongoing pandemic. But that is not all they do to protect the people of Hawai‘i by a long shot. The dedicated doctors, researchers, and scientists at SLD are working every day keep our drinking water safe, detect impurities in our food supply, and safeguard against infectious diseases. State Laboratories Division Administrator Edward Desmond, Ph.D. “An interesting aspect of public health laboratory work is that the character of our daily [...]
Remembering the lives and lessons of Kalaupapa
More than 150 years ago, an infectious disease with no known cure spread fear across Hawai‘i – leprosy. Fearing leprosy (or Hansen’s disease) would spread uncontrolled, King Kamehameha V banished all inflicted to the isolated Kalaupapa peninsula on Moloka‘i. More than 8,000 leprosy patients, mostly Native Hawaiians, were sent to Kalaupapa Settlement before the law banishing them was changed in 1969. This month, for the first time, we honor the victims of leprosy by commemorating Kalaupapa Month, a designation signed into law by Governor David Ige last year. King Kamehameha V banished all those inflicted with Hansen’s disease to [...]
The Hawai‘i COVID Collaborative: Winning Hearts, Saving Lives
We have all learned that telling others how they should think and feel about COVID-19 vaccinations is not easy. Na‘alehu Anthony, director of the Hawai‘i COVID Collaborative, knows this all too well. Like many Native Hawaiians, Anthony, a Ka‘a‘awa resident, lives in a multi-generational household. This communal lifestyle is one of the factors that contributes to disproportionately high numbers of COVID-19 cases among Native Hawaiians. Challenging Circumstances Anthony offered his insight into some of the circumstances Native Hawaiians may encounter in their homes: “There are those who are vaccinated and unvaccinated living together, some have experienced generational trauma and [...]
Hawai‘i’s Filipino Community Demonstrates There is Power in Unity
The devastating effects of the pandemic have sometimes brought out the best in people by encouraging them to create new partnerships and find solutions to care for those in need. Hawai‘i’s Filipino community has done that by serving as a model of collaboration and mobilization. The pandemic revealed significant health disparities in our Aloha State. Filipinos, which make up about 16% of Hawai‘i’s total population, were being disproportionately affected by COVID-19 last year. In November 2020, more than 20% of the COVID-19 cases were affecting Filipinos — the ethnic group experiencing the second highest rate of COVID-19 cases in the [...]
Say Yes! Home Testing Program Helps Hawai‘i Residents Identify COVID-19 Early
When one of her customers who took part in the Say Yes! COVID Test program tested positive for COVID-19, Keri Oyadomari, Pharmacist and Director of Clinical Services at 5 Minute Pharmacy, knew right then that the program was valuable to the community. “A patient had called after receiving a set of home testing kits that day,” Oyadomari said. “They had reported mild symptoms and decided to use one of the kits. We were able to counsel and educate them over the phone on the next steps. They would not have tested had they not had the kits due to the mild [...]
McDonald’s pop-up events
Hawaiʻi residents are bound by a sense of community—and this people-oriented mindset has extended to COVID-19 vaccination efforts. As vaccination numbers began to level off this summer, the Hawaiʻi Department of Health, businesses, health care providers and nonprofit groups stood up community-focused pop-up vaccination clinics to provide both convenience and familiar, welcoming environment to those considering vaccination. Churches, markets, public and private schools, community centers and restaurants statewide have offered the use of their parking lots and facilities to support outreach vaccination efforts. Inside their mobile health van, members of the Hawai‘i Pacific Health COVID-19 Vax Squad (top left) [...]
Keeping COVID-19 at Bay in Hawai‘i’s Schools
COVID-19 vaccinations are critical to keeping the pandemic under control, but the value of ongoing testing should not be underestimated as a mitigation tool. Although COVID-19 vaccinations are now available to children ages 5 to 12, testing will remain important in Hawai‘i’s schools as a tool to prevent the spread of the virus. Through the collaborative efforts of the Hawai‘i Department of Health, Hawai‘i Department of Education, the University of Hawai‘i’s Hawai‘i Keiki Nurse Program, and private laboratories, COVID-19 testing is becoming a part of the daily routine of students, teachers and administrators at Hawaii’s public schools. The turnaround time [...]
Halloween safety tips during the pandemic
The Hawai‘i Department of Health is offering guidance to help families have a safe and fun Halloween. Encourage safe Halloween activities by sharing these infographics with friends and family. There are more than 400,000 Hawai‘i residents who are not fully unvaccinated. We encourage those 12+ to get the free COVID-19 vaccine along with their annual flu shot. Plan to get both shots by Halloween! Get yours today! HawaiiCOVID19.com/vaccine. #HalloweenSafety #HawaiiCOVID19 This Halloween, wear masks that snugly cover your nose and mouth as part of your Halloween costume. Avoid plastic masks with holes unless they are made [...]
September is Suicide Prevention Month
Start by Listening and Being Aware of the Emotional State of Others The pandemic has not only taken a toll on the physical health of Hawai‘i residents, but also on our mental health. There has been an increase in anxiety, depression and other mental health challenges during this pandemic. Some of this is the result of isolation and disruptions in our relationships and our usual way of doing things. With the eviction moratorium and federal unemployment support ending, many are worried about how they will put food on the table for their family and if they will join the ranks [...]