Getting Consent From Seniors Poses Barrier To COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout - Honolulu Civil Beat
The elderly are most at risk, but for those with dementia, getting consent can be complicated. Reading time: 9 minutes.
After nearly a year of dealing with an ever-present threat of COVID-19, state officials and care home administrators are eager to get vaccines out to Hawaii seniors.
But first they must get legal consent. And failing to get it could delay vaccines for thousands of seniors who are unable to make medical decisions on their own.
“It’s going to be the biggest limiting factor, other than supply of vaccine,” said Dr. Albert Yazawa, a geriatrician who serves on one of the vaccination distribution planning teams convened by the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency. “For the folks who cannot sign their own consent forms, that has to be done ahead of time. What we’re trying to do is give everybody as much time and heads up as possible even before we have clinic dates set