Heavy winter storms across much of the continent this week so far have delayed the shipment of 37,450 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Hawaii, with only 10,250 doses successfully delivered, the Department of Health reported today.
DOH said that a total of 23,250 doses did not arrive today as scheduled due to bad weather. Delayed shipments comprise 13,500 doses of the Modern vaccine, including 4,400 doses to CVS / Longs Drugs stores and 9,750 of the Pfizer vaccine.
On Tuesday, delivery of 14,200 doses of Moderna was delayed, the department said.
So far this week, the state has received only 9,750 doses of Pfizer and 500 of the Modern vaccine, and health officials said it was not clear whether further shipments would be delayed. The shortage of the vaccine has already caused the two largest mass vaccination clinics in the state to suspend or reschedule some consultations until supplies can be guaranteed.
The interruption in vaccine deliveries occurs when Hawaii’s vaccination program and public adherence to COVID-19 precautions appear to be doing the trick to curb the spread of the virus that sickened 26,935 and led to 427 deaths.
The DOH today reported only 29 new cases of coronavirus across the state and one death, an Oahu man in his 70s who had underlying health problems and died in a hospital.
Only 17 new cases across the state were reported on Tuesday, but health officials reported that temporary interruptions in electronic lab reports on two occasions in the past few days had underestimated the number of cases. The authorities said they expect a “rebound effect” with higher daily case counts the next day or two, due to the “recovery report”.
The Department of Health’s weekly COVID vaccine summary released today showed that 268,428 doses have been administered across the state since December, with 12.5% of the population receiving at least one dose.
Of the 249,390 vaccines delivered to the public, not including those administered on federal websites, 71% were the first doses and 29% were the second doses, according to the summary.
Of the 315,900 doses received from the federal government, 79% were administered on non-federal websites, a major improvement in distribution to the state just a few weeks ago.
Kaiser Permanente announced today that consultations are available to members and non-members at the Moanalua Medical Center and a new vaccination center that opened Thursday at its Nanikeola Clinic in Waianae. The smooth launch of the Waianae clinic will provide injections from Thursday to Saturday in the morning only, increasing availability next week, when vaccines will be provided from 9 am to 5:30 am Tuesday to Saturday.
In the state’s vaccination program, only individuals in so-called Phases 1-A and 1-B are currently eligible for vaccination. These groups include health professionals, residents and employees of long-term care homes, adults 75 years of age or older and “essential frontline workers”.
Non-members can apply for Kaiser Permanente vaccines online at kp.org/covidvaccine; members can schedule an appointment online via kp.org Those who cannot schedule an appointment online can call 432-2000 (TTY 711).
The Department of Health offers vaccination information and registration links at hawaiicovid19.com.