by Jim Bea Sampaga
As Hawaii expands eligibility pool for the COVID-19 vaccine, people age 70 and older will be eligible for the vaccine starting on Monday, March 8.
State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char said vaccinating our elder will “provide another layer of protection to this vulnerable population.”
So far, vaccines were reserved for healthcare workers, employees in long-term care facilities, frontline essential workers and people age 75 and older.
Char said they have already vaccinated enough people in the said pool, therefore expanding the eligibility to people age 70 and older.
“We will closely monitor how quickly vaccines are used and may open to people age 65 and up and those in phase 1c in a couple of weeks,” Char explained in a March 3 press release.
According to the press release, weekly vaccine allotments for Hawaii increased from 40,000 doses last month to more than 67,000 doses this week.
The increase in doses is related to the recently authorized use of one-shot vaccine from Johnson & Johnson which helped advance Hawaii’s vaccine schedule.
“We must still wait our turn as our elders and frontline essential workers continue to be vaccinated,” Char said.
“But we are thrilled others in our community will soon have access to these life-saving vaccines.”
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