HONOLULU (AP) – Hawaii officers mentioned Tuesday they plan for folks to make reservations on-line for the coronavirus vaccine to keep away from crowds and lengthy strains at distribution facilities.
Healthcare officers are presently vaccinating healthcare employees, first responders and people residing in long-term care amenities – all folks within the highest precedence teams to obtain doses.
Subsequent will probably be these 75 and older, a bunch estimated at 109,000, and important employees whose jobs require them to be near the general public or co-workers. Vaccinations for most people are anticipated to start in early summer season, relying on dose availability.
Dr. Libby Char, director of the state Division of Well being, mentioned on-line reservations will enable officers to match capability to those that obtain the doses.
He mentioned he needs to keep away from scenes witnessed in Florida, the place older adults waited in lengthy strains to obtain the vaccine on a first-come, first-served foundation.
“Pondering of our kupuna tenting out within the open in a single day attempting to get vaccinated is a reasonably scary thought,” Char mentioned, utilizing the Hawaiian phrase for previous man.
Char mentioned the state has already used the reserve system to vaccinate folks and his expectations are excessive that it’ll work for the aged.
Lieutenant Governor Josh Inexperienced mentioned vaccination “Pods” They’ve been giving injections to 400 to 500 folks a day with out strains. He anticipates that vaccine distribution facilities will ultimately have a number of such capsules as increasingly more persons are vaccinated.
Inexperienced mentioned the state’s coronavirus info web site hawaiicovid19.com would have info on easy methods to make reservations. He urged these to proceed consulting that website within the coming days. There can even be a telephone line obtainable.
Older folks residing in long-term care amenities will have the ability to get the vaccine at their place of residence.
Inexperienced expressed hope that older adults residing independently will get assist from household and associates to make reservations and get vaccinated.
Based mostly on surveys the state has carried out, Inexperienced mentioned he expects about 80 p.c of the state’s 1.four million folks to ultimately obtain the vaccine.
