Bitter winter storms across most of the continent this week delayed the shipment of 37,450 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Hawaii, with only 10,250 doses successfully delivered, the health department reported today.
The DOH said a total of 23,250 doses did not arrive on schedule today due to the bad weather. The delayed shipments consist of 13,500 doses of the Moderna vaccine, including 4,400 doses bound for CVS / Longs Drugs stores, and 9,750 of the Pfizer vaccine.
The department on Tuesday delayed the delivery of 14,200 doses of Moderna.
So far this week, the state has received only 9,750 doses of Pfizer and 500 of the Moderna vaccine, and health officials said it is unclear whether further shipments will be delayed. The shortage of vaccines has already led the state’s two largest mass vaccination clinics to derail or reschedule some appointments until supplies can be secured.
The disruption of vaccine delivery comes as Hawaii’s vaccination program and adherence to COVID-19 precautionary measures apparently did the trick to stem the spread of the virus, which killed 26,935 people and led to 427 deaths.
The DOH today reported just 29 new cases of coronavirus across the country and one death, an Oahu man in his 70s who had underlying health conditions and died in a hospital.
Only 17 new cases across the country were reported Tuesday, but health officials have advised that temporary disruptions to electronic laboratory reporting in two days have caused the case numbers to be counted down. Officials said they would expect a “rebound effect” the next day or two with a higher number of daily cases, due to ‘catch-up reports’.
The weekly COVID vaccine summary from the Health Department today showed that 268,428 doses have been administered worldwide since December, while 12.5% of the population has received at least one dose.
Of the 249,390 vaccinations delivered to the public, not those administered at federal sites, 71% were first doses and 29% were second doses, according to the summary.
Of the 315,900 doses received from the federal government, 79% were administered at non-federal sites, a tremendous improvement in the distribution of the state since a few weeks ago.
Kaiser Permanente announced today that appointments are available for members and non-members at Moanalua Medical Center and at a new vaccination center that will open Thursday at the Nanikeola Clinic in Waianae. The soft launch of the Waianae Clinic only offers shots Thursday morning through Saturday, and next week the availability will be increased, from Tuesday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Under the state’s vaccination program, only individuals in so-called Phase 1-A and 1-B are currently eligible. These groups include health care workers, long-term care home residents and staff, adults aged 75 and over, and ‘essential workers’.
Non-members can register for Kaiser Permanent Vaccinations online at kp.org/covidvaccine; members can schedule an appointment online via kp.org. Those who are unable to schedule an appointment online can call 432-2000 (TTY 711).
The Department of Health presents vaccination information and registration links at hawaiicovid19.com.