Hawaii Department of Health to extend coronavirus vaccinations to residents over 70

  • CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / FEB.  10 An electronic message display provides the public with COVID-19 vaccination information at Blaisdell Center.

    CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / FEB. 10

    A sign with electronic messages gives the public information about the vaccination of COVID-19 at Blaisdell Center.

The state Department of Health said COVID-19 vaccinations will be offered to 70-year-olds soon. Currently, only 75 years and older of the kupuna and ‘essential workers’ are eligible to be vaccinated under Phase 1-B of the state’s vaccination program.

The department will announce when sites are willing to accept registration for members of the extended age group.

Health officials had earlier said they expected to be eligible for Phase 1-C in March – individuals aged 65 and over and other essential workers not included in 1-B.

‘We are still in phase 1b and we are not ready to go to phase 1c yet. But soon we welcome those 70 years and older to be vaccinated. We know that we still have essential workers from kupuna and front line waiting to be vaccinated, ”said dr. Libby Char, state health director, said in a news release. “We’ve been vaccinating kupuna since about mid-January, so we want to add in 70s and older to keep vaccine uptake really fast.”

Vaccine availability continues to be affected by delivery delays due to record-breaking winter weather on the continent. The health department said 27,700 doses of the Moderna vaccine that was expected to arrive this week had been delayed, although the state had received 19,500 doses of the Pfizer vaccine.

The DOH is awaiting news on when the dispatch will resume and when Moderna will send the overdue doses, the release reads. The state expects to receive more than 50,000 doses next week.

It is estimated that 281,315 COVID vaccinations were administered, according to preliminary DOH data released today.

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