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10/3/2023. The FDA approves Novavax’s updated COVID-19 vaccine. It is a protein subunit vaccine that is different from the mRNA vaccines, Pfizer and Moderna. It is approved for those over 12 years of age.

9/11/2023. The FDA approves the updated COVID-19 vaccines (monovalent XBB.1.5 “Kraken” subvariant of Omicron), with CDC/ACIP recommending this vaccine for all ages 6 months and up on 9/12/2023.

5/11/2023. Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 ends.

4/20/2023. CDC now recommends the use of bivalent vaccine for all recommended mRNA COVID-19 vaccine dose(s). Of note, children from 6 months to 5 years of age who received one, two, or three doses of a monovalent COVID-19vacine may receive a bivalent vaccine. For specific information, go to Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccines | FDA or Moderna COVID-19 Vaccines | FDA.

12/9/2022. Children from 6 months to 5 years of age can now receive the bivalent COVID-19 boosters. Children ages 6 months through 5 years who previously completed a Moderna primary series can now receive a Moderna bivalent booster 2 months after their final primary series dose. Children ages 6 months through 4 years who are completing a Pfizer primary series will receive a Pfizer bivalent vaccine as their third primary dose. However, if a child received 3 doses of the PFIZER monovalent primary series, a bivalent booster is not recommended at this time. The CDC released a Media Statement on 12/9/2022 on the expanded use of the bivalent COVID-19 vaccines.

10/12/2022. Children from 5 to 11 years of age are now eligible to receive the bivalent COVID-19 boosters The Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent booster is now expanded to include children 5-11 years old and the Moderna bivalent booster is expanded to include children 6-17 years of age.

9/1/2022: The COVID-19 bivalent vaccine that provides protection against the Omicron subvariants is now approved by the CDC and FDA. The Pfizer booster is authorized for those age 12 and older while Moderna is approved for use in adults 18 and older. To read the press release from Hawaii’s Department of Health, click here.

8/22/2022: The COVID-19 vaccine, Novavax, has now been authorized by the FDA to be used in adolescents from 12 to 17 years of age on 8/19/2022. The CDC has recommended this vaccine in adolescents on 8/22/2022.

7/19/2022: A fourth COVID-19 vaccine, Novavax, has been approved by the FDA and authorized by the CDC for adults 18 years and older. It is the first protein subunit vaccine recommended in the US for COVID-19.

7/8/2022: The COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine (Comirnaty) has full FDA approval for teens from 12 to 15 years of age.

6/24/2022. The COVID-19 Moderna vaccine is approved for ages 6 to 17 years of age by the CDC and FDA.

6/18/2022. The COVID-19 vaccine is now available for those over 6 months of age. Besides the Pfizer vaccine, the Moderna vaccine is approved for those 6 months to 5 years of age. If you are interested in getting the vaccine for your child, click here.

5/20/2022. The COVID-19 vaccine booster is now approved for those 5 years and up. If you are interested in getting the vaccine, click here.

1/6/2022: The COVID-19 vaccine booster is now approved for those 12 years and up. If you are interested in getting the vaccine, click here.

12/9/2021: The COVID-19 vaccine booster is now approved for those 16 years and up. If you are interested in getting the vaccine, click here.

11/2/2021: The COVID-19 vaccine is now available for all those over 5 years of age. If you are interested in getting the vaccine for your child, click here.

5/13/2021: The COVID-19 vaccine is now available for all those over 12 years of age. If you are interested in getting the vaccine, click here.

4/19/2021: The COVID-19 vaccine is now available for all those over 16 years of age. If you are interested in getting the vaccine, click here.

1/4/2021: Now that the COVID-19 vaccines are here, HPH has been receiving numerous inquiries and questions regarding the COVID-19 vaccination process. We are finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and all our sacrifices for flattening out the curve is for this moment, to have safe herd immunity by everyone being immunized. For more information, click here.

3/31/2020: Hawaii is in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak with the first death reported from this disease. Because widespread testing is not feasible, there are still guidelines on who can be tested which needs a doctor’s order. To help you make a decision on whether to get tested for COVID-19, you can check out the Coronavirus Self-Checker by the CDC. I also have a COVID-19 page on my website for more resources.

12/9/2019: The World Health Organization reported that measles cases around the world rose from 7,585,900 in 2017 to 9,769,400 in 2018, while measles-related deaths increased from 124,000 to 142,300 during the same period, with most deaths involving unvaccinated children. Meanwhile, a CDC study in the agency's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showed that although yearly global measles incidence and deaths dropped between 2000 and 2018 and vaccination prevented 23.2 million deaths during that period, the number of infections and deaths have increased since 2016. With a measles outbreak going on in Western Samoa with over 60 deaths, make sure you and your child receive the MMR vaccine.

10/4/2019: Beginning July 1, 2020, additional immunizations will be required for students entering childcare or preschool, kindergarten, 7th grade, and post-secondary schools, and all students entering school in Hawaii for the first time, regardless of age. The updated immunization requirements conform with current national recommendations and reflect what occurs in healthcare provider offices and clinics in Hawaii as standard medical practice. For more information, please go to the Department of Health website at this link.

11/19/2018: So far we have had low influenza activity for this upcoming influenza season, although the peak months of December to February have not started yet, and we had 2 influenza associated deaths. In this past influenza season of 2017-2018, the CDC estimates there were more than 960,000 hospitalizations and close to 80,000 deaths! There were 183 pediatric deaths reported, many of whom were previously healthy and unvaccinated. The thing about influenza is that it is unpredictable and we don’t know when the next bad season is. So please, get your flu shot soon!

10/11/2018: Did you know that there is a measles outbreak occurring in Europe?  According to the World Health Organization, Europe experienced 41,000 cases of measles during the first 6 months of 2018!  For more information on why the outbreak is occurring, view this interesting (and brief) video produced by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) News: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCi2CLo6wdQ&feature=youtu.be