The Hawaii Department of Health (DOH) is making an extensive effort to encourage all state residents to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
The department has been working with different organizations to make the vaccine accessible even to those hard-to-reach Hawaii residents.
Communities who do not speak English as their first language and are not familiar with using the health care system or vaccination registration process will be supported on their vaccination journey. Past efforts involving educational awareness about the vaccine included interpreters, flyers in English and handouts in translated languages.
“We’re working hard to understand people’s reservations and barriers to accessing the vaccine and to provide information and education about the vaccines and the disease in order to allow people to make informed decisions and access vaccine if they choose to,” said Dr. Elizabeth Char, director of the Hawaii Department of Health. “This requires personalized, door-to-door outreach. The collaboration in the community has been phenomenal. This will be key to reaching more individuals who want the vaccine but have not yet been able to be vaccinated. Nothing can replace this kind of relationship-oriented outreach.”
Individuals 18 and older who choose to be vaccinated should register electronically through the VAMS website. Those 60 and older can register via phone by calling 808-300-1120.
Due to emergency use authorization restrictions, individuals between 16 and 17 can only receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine while those who 18 and older can receive the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine types will vary based on provider and location.
Points of dispensing and administering the vaccine are available across the state. The DOH website and the COVID-19 portal offer further information about the vaccination efforts including outside Hawaii County.