LIHU‘E — Beginning Monday, March 8, Hawai‘i Pacific Health will begin vaccinating adults ages 70 and older at Wilcox Medical Center.
Vaccine appointments are now open for kupuna aged 70 or older at Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waimea and Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital in Kapa‘a as well.
Clinics are held on Tuesdays and Thursdays at SMMH and Wednesdays and Fridays at KVMH between the hours of 8 a.m. through noon.
“The Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Hospital and the Samuel Mahelona Memorial Hospital are excited about the opportunity to offer vaccination clinics for the 70-plus age group as we start vaccinating the 1c population,” said Lance Segawa, regional CEO of the Hawai‘i Health Systems Corporation-Kaua‘i Region. “Our commitment to our community as a vaccination resource remains strong.”
Vaccinations are by appointment only. Walk-ins will not be accepted. Vaccinations will only be provided to adults 70 years and older.
Once an appointment request is placed on the kauai.hhsc.org website, those requesting appointments will be notified by phone to confirm date and time for vaccinations. There is currently a limit of 300 appointments for each clinic date.
“We know many of our kupuna have been anxious to receive their COVID-19 vaccinations, and we’re extremely happy that the Department of Health is expanding access for residents 70 and older,” said Jen H. Chahanovich, president and CEO of Wilcox Medical Center and CEO of Kaua‘i Medical Clinic.
Wilcox Medical Center will have 300 appointments daily from Monday to Friday, March 8 to 12, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Vaccinations will only be provided to adults 70 years and older. People requiring assistance may bring one person 18 years or older as an escort to their vaccination appointment.
Current guidance from the state DOH does not allow escorts who are not aged 70 or older to receive the vaccine. No one under the age of 18 will be allowed in the vaccination clinic.
“We are happy to hear that the state is expanding access to the COVID-19 vaccine for Hawai‘i residents ages 70 to 74,” said Dr. Melinda Ashton, executive vice president and chief quality officer for Hawai‘i Pacific Health.
“We know many of our seniors have been anxious to get vaccinated, and both our sites at Pier 2 and Wilcox Medical Center have increased appointment capacity to accommodate more people for vaccinations beginning Monday.”
As of Thursday, March 4, more than 26,000 doses of vaccine have been administered on Kaua‘i. The new Johnson & Johnson vaccine’s first shipments arrived on Kaua‘i on Wednesday, and additional shipments of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines continue to arrive.
Visitors to Kaua‘i are not eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccine.
Kupuna who are established patients at Ho‘ola Lahui can also schedule vaccine appointments at their locations.
As of Thursday, CVS is still offering vaccinations to persons aged 75 and older, according to its website.
Anyone needing assistance with the online appointment systems should see if a friend or family member can help. If not, the county Agency on Elderly Affairs, 241-4470, can help schedule appointments on the websites. They cannot help if no appointments are available or people are not yet eligible.
Eligible front-line essential workers are being vaccinated by appointment only at a point of distribution operated by the DOH Kaua‘i District Health Office at the Kaua‘i War Memorial Convention Hall in Lihu‘e.
To sign up at one of these locations, visit the websites below:
• Wilcox Medical Center in Lihu‘e: HawaiiPacificHealth.org/COVID19Vaccine;
• KVMH and SMMH: kauai.hhsc.org/.
For more information, kauai.gov/vaccine.
Why is this taking so long? Other states are down to 65+. Some states are even further down. We have so few people to vaccinate, one would think we would be done with the entire county by now!!!
How can we know when Johnson and Johnson vaccine covid vaccine is available and where it will be distributed? I would like an appointment for that vaccine only. Mahalo!!
Finally. A lot of people are smarter than your mayor or county councilmen. Just that these voters who vote, don’t want to fork up any money too. Democracy. This is it. Being vaccinated. Herd immunity. Starting with the elderlies. And who’d you vote for?