Johnson & Johnson Vaccinations Resume
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) will resume use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine Thursday, April 29 at a vaccination clinic at Windward Community College (WCC). The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also be offered at WCC May 4, May 6, and May 11 from 8 am until 5 pm. Additional opportunities to receive the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine at locations around the state will be announced in the coming days and posted on the registration page at hawaiicovid19.com. Use of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine was paused for 11 days while the U.S. Centers for [...]
Vaccine eligibility expands to residents 16 and older statewide
HONOLULU – Hawai‘i has reached Phase 2 of its COVID-19 vaccination program. This means all Hawai‘i residents age 16 and older are now eligible for COVID-19 vaccine. Hawai‘i County, Maui County, and Kaua‘i County advanced to Phase 2 in early April. O‘ahu moved into Phase 2 this morning. “Schedule your vaccine as soon as you can,” advised Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char. “We don’t have enough to vaccinate everyone immediately, but you can schedule your shot now. If you can’t get an appointment today, you’ll be able to get one in the near future.” People are urged to visit the [...]
All residents 16+ are becoming eligible April 19 and supply is still catching up—mahalo for your patience!
Starting Monday, April 19 all Hawai‘i residents age 16+ will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination. This means 300,000 people will be newly eligible, bringing the total to more than 650,000 people in our state who are eligible and still unvaccinated. Limited supply continues to be Hawaii’s biggest challenge to meeting the demand for vaccination. Here at the Hawai‘i Department of Health, we acknowledge how frustrating it is that there is not yet enough vaccine to go around. We are hopeful that our vaccine supply will increase early next month and we can look forward to increasing access. Thank you for [...]
From zero to a million in four months!
In a year when time appears to play tricks on us, it may seem like quite a while ago when our only defenses against COVID-19 were masks, hand washing and physical distancing. Whether we’ve personally received a vaccine or not yet, we’ve come to count on COVID-19 vaccines to protect us—individually and collectively. Four short months ago—on December 14, 2020—Dr. Lester Morehead of The Queen’s Medical Center received the very first COVID-19 vaccine in Hawai‘i. And four months later—to the day—Hawai‘i surpassed the one million mark of doses administered across the state. That adds up to a significant percent of [...]
Hawai‘i pauses Johnson & Johnson vaccinations
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is pausing use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review data involving six cases in which individuals who received the Johnson &Johnson vaccine developed blood clots. “We’re are pausing out of an abundance of caution. Vaccine safety is of the utmost importance,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char. “The risk of developing a blood clot is very low. About 6.8 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines have been administered in the United States. Six [...]
Vaccine eligibility expands to people age 50 and older on O‘ahu
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to O‘ahu residents age 50 and above beginning Monday, April 12. “This is a great opportunity for residents 50 and older on O‘ahu to register before vaccine eligibility opens to everyone 16 and older on April 19,” said Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char. “I encourage everyone who is eligible today to schedule their appointment as soon as possible.” A wide variety of vaccination options can be found on the registration page at hawaiicovid19.com. Services for older adults who may need additional assistance with online sign-up or who [...]
Greater vaccine supply facilitates additional vaccination opportunities
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is asking its District Health Offices on the neighbor islands to expand vaccine eligibility as needed to ensure all available vaccination slots are filled. Every island has its own unique characteristics including population, population density, healthcare resources and enthusiasm for COVID-19 vaccine. With more vaccine coming into Hawai‘i this week than any previous week, DOH Director Dr. Elizabeth Char believes the time is right to give the neighbor islands more say in how they administer vaccinations. “The state is getting more than 81,000 vaccine doses this week and the federal government is [...]
Vaccinations expand to people age 60 and older
HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health announces the state will extend COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to people age 60 and older beginning Monday, March 29. “We are closely monitoring current and projected vaccination numbers, appointment availability and most importantly the amount of vaccine allocated to the people of Hawai‘i,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char. “Our analysis of these indicators tells us it is time to expand vaccine eligibility to more people.” To date vaccines have been reserved for those in phase 1a and 1b of the state’s vaccination program as well as those age 65 and older, those [...]
New service for kūpuna simplifies COVID-19 vaccination registration process; capable of more than 1,000 calls per day
HONOLULU – A new service is making it easier for Oahu kūpuna who are not comfortable with the online registration process for their COVID-19 vaccinations. Trained specialists available seven days a week are providing personalized assistance to help those age 65 and above navigate the registration process, secure appointments and also help eligible individuals arrange for transportation to a vaccination provider. The call center — a collaboration among the Executive Office on Aging, an attached agency of the Hawai‘i Department of Health; the City and County of Honolulu’s Elderly Affairs Division; Aloha United Way’s 2-1-1; and St. Francis Healthcare System [...]