Details on Move to Phase 1C Vaccinations; 3 Cases of COVID-19 in Vaccinated Individuals

Details on Move to Phase 1C Vaccinations

Health officials are providing more details on the move to Phase 1C vaccinations, which start on Monday, March 15.

State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char said those age 65 and older and those with one or more of a few specific chronic medical conditions are atop the list of those who should be vaccinated next. 

State officials say those who can make appointments as part of the expanded vaccinations include:

• Individuals age 65 and older
• Individuals on dialysis
• Individuals with severe respiratory disease who are on oxygen
• Individuals undergoing chemotherapy or other infusion therapy

Registration opportunities for those 65 and older and others in phase 1c will soon be available through links posted on hawaiicovid19.com and from healthcare providers around the state. 

People with other chronic conditions also qualify for vaccine in Phase 1C, but not immediately.

Health officials say data shows a correlation between medical conditions and age, so age will serve as a surrogate for many of these other chronic medical conditions. People with these chronic illnesses will be eligible for vaccine by age in descending order.

Essential workers not included in earlier phases are also part of Phase 1C. They will continue to register through employers.

“We will get to everybody. We are very happy that people want to get vaccinated. We look forward to vaccinating everyone who is interested,” Char said.

3 Cases of COVID-19 in Vaccinated Individuals

Dr. Char also discusses the latest COVID-19 Weekly Cluster Report, which includes investigation into a “breakthrough” case of COVID-19 in a fully vaccinated Hawai‘i resident.

A department spokesperson said there are now a total of three “breakthrough” cases in which a fully vaccinated person (someone who received both doses) has contracted COVID-19.

“This number is not outside what we would expect with nearly 165,000 people in Hawai‘i who are fully vaccinated. A vaccine with 95% efficacy will protect 95 out of 100 people.  This means 5% may still contract COVID if exposed.  This another reason we must all do our part to keep case counts low.  The lower the prevalence of COVID in the community, the lower the chance any of us – even those who have been vaccinated – will be infected,” a department spokesperson said.

“It is important to note that none of the individuals with ‘breakthrough’ COVID became severely ill and none are known to have transmitted COVID to someone else. The vaccines are preventing serious illness as they are designed to do,” according to department representatives.

“The really important thing is that being vaccinated prevents us from serious illness, hospitalization, and death. That’s what we really need the vaccines to do for us,” Char said. “We have seen cases where people are fully vaccinated, and we have some cases in Hawai‘i now where people got vaccinated…traveled to the mainland, and we think they got ill on the mainland. Thankfully, their symptoms were very mild, which is exactly the protection the vaccine affords, but you can get infected with COVID.” 

DOH also announced that on the week of March 15, 64,670 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are expected to arrive in Hawai‘i.

The information was detailed in a department communication platform called The Weekly Dose hosted by Brooks Baehr with the Department’s communication office.