Vaccine

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) has revised its reporting of the number of COVID-19 vaccination series completed and booster doses administered in Hawai‘i. The revisions are the result of a DOH review of vaccination reporting. Some booster doses administered to people who had received an initial Johnson & Johnson vaccine had been reported as second doses rather than booster doses. These doses, previously believed to have completed a person’s primary vaccination series, are now correctly recorded as booster doses. This revision results in the current percentage of the population that has received a booster dose increasing from [...]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting the most recent COVID-19 booster shot recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Effective immediately: DOH recommends a single Pfizer-BioNTech (Pfizer) vaccine booster shot for everyone ages 12 - 17 who completed their primary vaccine series at least five months ago. People 18 and older who completed their primary series of Pfizer vaccine at least five months ago should get an mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) booster. Moderately to severely immunocompromised children ages 5-11 should get an additional dose of the Pfizer vaccine 28 days after their [...]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) marks the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 vaccinations in the islands by thanking the people of Hawai‘i, vaccination providers and everyone who has worked to make COVID-19 vaccines accessible around the state. “COVID-19 vaccines are truly life-savers. And everything we learn about the Omicron variant tells us the vaccines are just as important today as they were when we administered the first shot one year ago,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. To date, 2,439,075 COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in Hawai‘i. DOH estimates 73.2% of the state’s population has received [...]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting expanded guidelines from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19 booster vaccinations. Hawai‘i residents ages 16 and 17 may receive a booster dose if it has been at least six months since the completion of the initial series of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. DOH reminds all eligible residents they can receive a booster dose if it has been at least two months since their Johnson & Johnson vaccine, or six months since completing their Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech series. The recent emergence of the Omicron variant underscores the importance [...]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting stronger guidelines from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19 booster vaccinations. Effective immediately, all adults age 18 and older who completed their primary mRNA vaccinations of Pfizer or Moderna at least six months ago should receive a single COVID-19 booster dose. Boosters are still recommended for anyone who received Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine more than two months ago. “This guidance is clear—all fully vaccinated adults should get a booster when it is available to them,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. “While the Omicron [...]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) has reactivated the Hawai‘i Immunization Registry. The immunization registry is a statewide information system that stores and tracks patient immunization records for 25 diseases including vaccinations for polio, tetanus, measles, mumps and now COVID-19. “The Hawai’i Immunization Registry provides health care professionals with a patient’s individual immunization history. Providers can see when a patient was vaccinated and what product they received. They can tell when a patient is overdue for a vaccine and avoid administering redundant vaccines,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble. The immunization registry was under repair when the pandemic [...]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting new guidelines from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on COVID-19 booster vaccinations. Effective immediately all adults age 18 and older who completed their primary mRNA vaccinations of Pfizer or Moderna at least six months ago are eligible for boosters. The following recipients of a Pfizer or Moderna primary series should receive a single COVID-19 booster dose. People aged 50 years and older Adults in long term care settings All other persons aged 18 and older who received a Pfizer or Moderna primary series may receive a single COVID-19 booster dose. Boosters [...]

HONOLULU – A Hawaiʻi Department of Health (DOH) analysis of vaccine breakthrough data found COVID-19 vaccines provide excellent protection against hospitalization and death. A vaccine breakthrough infection occurs when a fully vaccinated person tests positive for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Individuals are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after completing their initial vaccine series. Hawaiʻi data on deaths that occurred from January 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021 found that fully vaccinated people age 0-59 were 34 times less likely to die of COVID-19 than unvaccinated individuals. Fully vaccinated people age 60 and older were nine times less likely [...]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health is authorizing certified vaccination providers to administer Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for children age 5-11 immediately. This authorization is consistent with recommendations made by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today. “The CDC reviewed the clinical data and determined the vaccine is safe. The Pfizer vaccine is effective in preventing severe illness and death. The vaccine will provide another important layer of protection in keeping our children and the entire community safe,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization for the Pfizer vaccine [...]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health will adopt the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) guidelines on COVID-19 booster doses for Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. “Boosters doses are common for many vaccines and will provide additional protection to Hawai‘i residents at higher risk for severe illness or occupational exposure,” said Director of Health Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. “Boosters are expected to be widely available across the state, and CDC’s mix-and-match policy will allow for additional flexibility. DOH’s first priority will remain encouraging unvaccinated Hawai‘i residents to complete their initial vaccine series.” Moderna vaccine recipients: A [...]