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MICHAEL REMBIS
National Hospital Week began Sunday and provides a formal opportunity to salute our employees and health care workers across Maui County and to thank them for all they do. This year, Hospital Week is incredibly special because it’s a chance to celebrate and recognize the incredible work of our Maui Health team.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been an exceptional challenge and unlike any our health care providers or our employees have experienced. This last year, we have witnessed our Maui Health employees not only show up but step up to meet these challenges head on. Every nurse, every housekeeper, every respiratory therapist, every engineer and so many others have had a vital role in persevering through this crisis, proving that we truly are one ‘ohana, one team.
May 6, 2021
Q: It seems that there are three different COVID vaccines. What is the difference between all of them? Between all three, which has more protection against COVID?
Chrissy Miller, Employee Health Manager, Maui Health: Currently, three drug companies have received emergency use authorization from the FDA for vaccines against COVID-19. These companies are Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
The most important thing to know is that all three vaccines are safe and highly effective. The FDA did not skip any steps or safety protocols during the approval process. They all went through extensive testing before they were approved and have now been injected into millions of people worldwide with no safety problems.
mtanji@mauinews.com
A drive-thru vaccine clinic is conducted on Lanai. County and state officials say that Maui County, especially rural areas, has made âgreat progressâ on vaccines, with Lanai, Molokai and Hana nearing herd immunity, according to the mayor. MAUI HEALTH photo
Once lagging behind the rest of the state, Maui County has caught up in administering COVID-19 vaccines, with rural areas such as Lanai, Molokai and Hana nearing herd immunity, Mayor Michael Victorino said.
As of Thursday, 49 percent of Maui County’s population over 18 had received at least one dose of the vaccine, second to Kauai County’s state-leading 57 percent. Hawaii County is at 47 percent, while Honolulu County is at 43 percent.
Q: When will children and teenagers be able to get the COVID-19 vaccine?
Michael Shea, MD, Intensivist and Chief Medical Director, Maui Health: Currently, none of the approved COVID-19 vaccines are applicable for young children/teenagers. This is because the vaccines still need to be tested in younger children as their immune systems are different than adults, so it’s not safe to assume the vaccine would be ideal for children. There are vaccine trials currently underway with children as young as 12, with results expected later this year and a new, pediatric vaccine available for our younger population.
However, the vaccines that are currently available can be used on older kids – 16 years of age and up. The Pfizer vaccine is approved for teens ages 16 and older, while the Moderna vaccine is approved for young adults ages 18 and older. At Maui Health’s vaccine clinics, we are administering the Pfizer vaccine, and any Hawaii resident age 16 and older can get vaccinated. Remem