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State Health Director Dr. Libby Char discussed Maui Countyâs vaccine distribution during a county news conference Friday afternoon.
Maui’s COVID-19 vaccination sites may have been giving intended second doses of the vaccine to people seeking their first shot, though Hawaii’s health director said this was “completely appropriate.”
“We’ve been sending both second doses and first doses to each of the counties,” Director Dr. Libby Char said Friday afternoon. “I think depending on how the allocation was made on Maui they may have used a lot of the first and second doses for first doses, so now they are using what is coming in for second doses, and that’s completely appropriate. We don’t want to be sitting on any doses just waiting for that four weeks to go by to give it.”
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Loida Villanueva, Maui Health System Gastroenterology-Endoscopy assistant who staffed the Maui Memorial Medical Center vaccination clinic entrance Sunday, said she had to inform about 20 kupuna of the clinicâs temporary closure. She has a vaccination clinic update form that notifies people about appointment changes for eligible people seeking COVID-19 vaccinations. The Maui News / KEHAULANI CERIZO photo
WAILUKU About 20 Maui kupuna showed up Sunday to receive their COVID-19 vaccines only to learn the island’s only open vaccination clinic was forced to close due to lack of supply.
“It was hard to break the news to the older people,” said Loida Villanueva, Maui Health System Gastroenterology-Endoscopy assistant who staffed the clinic entrance Sunday, informing people of the closure. “A lot were elderly.”
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Syringes are shown during a vaccination clinic at Maui Memorial Medical Center on Thursday. The hospital’s clinic is the only site on Maui currently taking new registrations from the public, but it may have to temporarily close Sunday afternoon if it doesn’t receive more doses today, officials said. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
Maui’s only vaccination clinic taking new registrations announced Saturday it will have to close for a week due to a shortage of Pfizer-BioNTech doses that were slated to come from the state.
Maui Health, which oversees Maui Memorial Medical Center’s vaccination clinic, announced Saturday afternoon that it will close to first vaccinations that were scheduled Sunday through Feb. 7.
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Doris Christenson receives her COVID-19 vaccination from Maui Memorial Medical Center RN Randi Casco Thursday afternoon at the hospital. Doris and her husband, Floyd Christenson, the founders of Mamaâs Fish House, both were vaccinated. Asked what advice she would give to people who are leery of the shot, Doris Christenson said, âI would tell them, by all means, do it.â â The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo
WAILUKU Maui’s only community vaccination clinic may have to temporarily close Sunday afternoon if more Pfizer-BioNTech doses are not received today.
Maui Health System CEO Mike Rembis said he spent Friday morning placing urgent calls, seeking at least 975 doses to last through the weekend at Maui Memorial Medical Center’s vaccination clinic, the sole site currently accepting new registrants. There was no final decision as of Friday night.
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The hospitalâs lobby serves as a vaccination clinic Thursday. The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photos
WAILUKU Lt. Gov. Josh Green toured Maui vaccination sites Thursday, vowing to keep Neighbor Islands top of mind when doses arrive and asking for patience as the state works to roll out enough doses to meet the demand.
Since opening a week ago, Maui Memorial Medical Center’s vaccination clinic for residents in the Phase 1A and Phase 1B priority timelines has about 1,500 requests a day to receive the vaccine, officials said. Also, the closed point of delivery site at the University of Hawaii Maui College for first responders and other frontline workers has had to turn people away due to overwhelming demand. Both sites do not accept walk-ins.