#CDC

The West Coast Health Alliance and the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health are reaffirming their strong recommendation that children receive routine vaccinations, following recent changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website that raised concerns among some health experts.

Hannah Litt, medical director of the UH Maui College Campus Health Center, has been named the 2025 Immunization Champion for the State of Hawai‘i.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health has confirmed a new travel-related case of dengue virus on Oʻahu, bringing the total number of dengue cases to seven in the state in 2025 (one on Maui, six on Oʻahu). The affected individual in this current case was exposed to the virus while traveling in a region where dengue is common. This case is unrelated to the dengue cases reported on April 10 and 11, 2025.

There have been six confirmed dengue cases in the state in 2025—one on Maui and five on Oʻahu.

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health released a list of FAQs on Avian Influenza or H5N1 following confirmation of the virus at a Wahiawā bird sanctuary on on Nov. 15; and a subsequent confirmation of avian flu in a wild duck on Oʻahu earlier this week.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health has identified a new travel-related dengue virus case on Maui, bringing the number of total cases to 14 identified in the state in 2024 (one on Kauaʻi, four on Maui, nine on Oʻahu). The affected traveler was exposed in a country where dengue is common.  

The Hawaiʻi Department of Health is reminding everyone that toxic lead can be present in many common facets of life, work and hobbies.

The Kalalau Trail in the Nāpali Coast State Wilderness Park will re-open to visitors on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, following closure due to a norovirus outbreak among park visitors.  The total number of norovirus cases reported to date is approximately 50 and remaining stable. The onset of new cases peaked on Sept. 2.

A $3.76 million gift from John C. Couch will establish the first-ever gastroenterology and hepatology fellowship program at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) that will train physicians to treat liver diseases, including cancer, in the islands.

Due to the recent highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detections in livestock on the mainland, the Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture (HDOA) has placed a restriction on the transport of cattle from premises where HPAI has infected cattle. Currently, HPAI has been detected in dairy cattle in Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Idaho, Ohio and Michigan; however, the restriction will be placed on any future areas where HPAI-infected cattle are found. No infected cattle have been detected in Hawai‘i.

Hawaiʻi Attorney General Anne Lopez, along with a coalition of 20 attorneys general, urged the US Food and Drug Administration to take decisive action to safeguard infants and young children across the nation from exposure to lead and other harmful metals in baby food.

The Child Suicide Prevention and Lethal Means Safety Act would fund suicide prevention initiatives, ensure health care providers receive training to prevent intentional harm and create a centralized hub to provide safety information to at-risk youth and their support networks.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health has received a report of a travel-related dengue case on Maui, in an individual who had recent travel to countries where dengue is commonly found. The last confirmed case of locally acquired dengue in the state was in 2016.

The CDC estimates that if menthol cigarettes were no longer available, an estimated 4,400 adults in Hawai‘i who smoke would quit smoking.

The Hawai‘i Department of Health and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend use of the new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines that recently were approved and authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration.

JUUL Labs, which manufactures e-cigarettes, has reached an agreement in principle with Hawai‘i and 33 other states and territories for $438.5 million for its deceptive marketing and sales practices.

Maui Health now is providing COVID-19 vaccinations for children ages 6 months through 5 years old.

The long awaited COVID-19 vaccines for keiki under age 5 will be available on all Hawaiian islands in the coming week, according to the Hawai‘i Department of Health.

The state of Hawaiʻi could save lives and raise $58 million in revenue by increasing alcohol taxes by 10 cents per drink, according to a new report by the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Pacific Health Analytics Collaborative.

In November 2021, 202,246 visitors to Maui spent $352 million, which was 6.8% less than the $378 million spent by the 232,330 tourists in pre-pandemic November 2019.