News Releases from Department of Health

DOH RECOMMENDS RESPIRATORY VIRUS IMMUNIZATIONS HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) recommends the recently updated 2024-2025 flu and COVID-19 vaccines for all persons 6 months of age and older as well as the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunization for newborns and infants, pregnant persons, adults over 75 and those 60-74 with certain chronic […]

Everyday Prevention Measures Can Slow the Spread HONOLULU — COVID-19 activity is on the rise, according to a new Respiratory Disease Activity dashboard released by the Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH).   The dashboard, developed by the DOH Disease Outbreak Control Division (DOCD), provides an at-a-glance snapshot of current respiratory disease activity statewide, including […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is in general agreement with today’s updated COVID-19 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. DOH continuously reviews data on respiratory pathogens, including the virus that causes COVID-19. The new guidelines reflect the current level of risk, while still protecting the most vulnerable. The advisement […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) recommends use of the new 2023-2024 COVID-19 vaccines newly approved and authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, to protect against the most common forms of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i. The new vaccines address the XBB-lineages of the Omicron variant that accounts for 99% of COVID-19 cases […]

The Hawai‘i State Department of Health (DOH) reminds the public to be vigilant due to a steady increase of reported cases of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i since June 2023. As of Monday, Aug. 7, 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that COVID-19 hospital admission levels for both the City and County of […]

HONOLULU, HI –The federal Public Health Emergency (PHE) for COVID-19, declared under Section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, will expire at the end of the day on May 11, 2023. As the PHE ends, high levels of vaccination, widespread population immunity, and available treatments have significantly reduced the risk of severe COVID-19 disease, […]

HONOLULU, HI – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) supports the latest recommendations announced yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), allowing an additional dose of the bivalent booster against the virus that causes COVID-19 for individuals at increased risk for severe infection. CDC’s announcement also simplifies vaccination schedules to allow bivalent […]

HONOLULU, HI – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) reports a rise in the rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations. The number of total positive COVID-19 hospitalizations has increased over the past week (3/26 – 4/4) from 39 to 74 patients, which is an 89.7% increase. “Our hospitals still have capacity”, says State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble. “However, […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health encourages people to celebrate the holidays safely by taking simple steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses. “The past few years COVID-19 illness increased during the holidays after people got together to celebrate,” said State Health Director Dr. Elizabeth Char, FACEP. “We encourage celebrations, […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health has placed orders to supply participating healthcare providers with updated COVID-19 bivalent vaccines for children as young as six months of age. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued emergency use authorization for keiki-sized vaccines Thursday, December 8. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention expanded the use […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) announces the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency use authorization for the COVID-19 booster by Novavax and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and DOH are allowing use of the COVID-19 booster by Novavax. Novavax monovalent COVID-19 boosters are recommended for adults 18 and older for […]

HONOLULU – The Department of Health (DOH) recommends COVID-19 bivalent booster vaccines for everyone age five and older. Bivalent boosters are the first COVID-19 vaccinations designed specifically to protect against original COVID-19 and the most common forms of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i, the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants. The BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants account for almost […]

HONOLULU – The Department of Health (DOH) published a COVID-19 Wastewater Report on Thursday, September 29. The report shows COVID-19 cases have declined since early June and the Omicron subvariant BA.5 is the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i. “Data from wastewater testing aligns with other data sets,” said State Laboratories Division (SLD) Administrator Edward […]

HONOLULU – The Department of Health (DOH) is enhancing the Hawai‘i COVID-19 data dashboard to include reinfections. The percentage of COVID-19 cases involving individuals who had a prior infection is growing over time and now accounts for about 10% of new confirmed cases. “The data on reinfections underscores what we have been saying; that limited […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) recommends the use of the first bivalent booster vaccines designed specifically to protect against original COVID-19 and the most common forms of COVID-19 in Hawai‘i, the BA.4 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants. The BA.5 subvariant accounts for an estimated 91% of the COVID-19 cases in Hawai‘i. The BA.4 […]

LIHUE – The Department of Health’s (DOH) Kaua‘i District Health Office released the preliminary report of its July Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) survey to assess the community’s perception of Kauaʻi’s COVID-19 response efforts and current emergency preparedness level.  “The results of this survey show us that Kaua‘i residents continue to feel […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health announces scheduling opportunities for the COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Novavax. Novavax is a two-dose primary series vaccine for individuals 18 and older. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends administering the second dose three to eight weeks after the first. Novavax is a protein subunit vaccine. It […]

LIHUE – The Department of Health’s (DOH) Kaua‘i District Health Office will conduct a Community Assessment for Public Health Emergency Response (CASPER) survey to assess the community’s perception of Kauaʻi’s COVID-19 response efforts and current emergency preparedness level.  “The responses will help us understand the community’s perception of our COVID-19 response efforts over the past […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting the CDC recommendation that Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine be used as an option for children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 years. The COVID-19 vaccine manufactured by Pfizer-BioNTech is already available for people in this age group. “Vaccine eligibility is now simple and easy to understand. […]

Parents encouraged to explore vaccination opportunities HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is excited to announce long awaited COVID-19 vaccines for keiki under the age of five will soon be available. DOH is authorizing enrolled COVID-19 vaccination providers to administer the vaccines as soon as they become available. DOH is expecting delivery of […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) salutes the Class of 2022. DOH recognizes the importance of graduations and what they mean to Hawai’i families. DOH encourages graduates and their families to celebrate safely. Here are tips to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 while honoring our graduates. Celebrate outdoors Wear masks outdoors if […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting guidance from the CDC recommending boosters for children ages 5 through 11 and strengthening booster recommendations for others. Children ages 5 through 11 are encouraged to receive a COVID-19 booster shot five months after their initial Pfizer-BioNTech vaccination. “It’s exciting that children 5 to 11 […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is adopting the most recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding COVID-19 booster shots. Effective immediately, people who received their first booster shot at least four months ago may receive a second booster shot of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) if: […]

HONOLULU – The Hawai‘i Department of Health (DOH) is transitioning from daily to weekly COVID-19 data reporting effective immediately. Case counts and vaccination updates will be published on the DOH COVID-19 dashboard every Wednesday beginning March 16. “Our decisions have always been based on trends, not single day counts. There is greater focus now on […]