HONOLULU — While there are currently no COVID-19 vaccination mandates in Hawai‘i’s public schools, health officials do believe there are risks that exist at school sports’ social events.
“We are looking at what risks exist for different sports, and making sure that people understand what the different risks are,” Dr. Sarah Kemble, acting state epidemiologist of state Department of Health, said last week. “So what is clear as we’ve gained more evidence is outdoor sports or low-risk indoor sports are at higher risk, although proper masking can be put into this medium-risk category. What is most high risk for sports is actually not on the playing field itself.”
Kemble spoke on Friday, at a virtual meeting with the state Senate Committee on Health and the House Committee on Pandemic &Disaster Preparedness.
There are currently nine vaccines required for school entry. And one against the coronavirus is not currently required to attend daily schools.
“We’ve had many questions about vaccine mandates,” Kemble said. “Mandatory vaccinations in schools are determined through a comprehensive process. That includes establishing working groups and public hearings. These are the currently required vaccines that went through that process and are on the list of vaccines required for school entry.”
Both Pfizer and Moderna are currently conducting studies to evaluate safety and immunogenicity amongst children under 12 years old. However, there is no timeline on when the federal Food and Drug Administration will issue an Emergency Use Authorization to either company for younger children.
Kaua‘i District Health Officer Dr. Janet Berreman said the department is working with the Department of Education and other schools to continue the layered approach to protective measures in schools.
“In the meantime, vaccination of students 12 and older is our strongest protective measure and all parents are encouraged to have their vaccine-eligible children vaccinated as soon as possible, preferably before the start of the next school year,” Berreman said.
In June, 116 people were hospitalized for COVID, more than 96% of them were not fully vaccinated, DOH Director Libby Char reported.
“We have had about 290 breakthrough cases since we’ve started vaccination,” Char said. “When we talk about breakthrough cases, we’re talking about people who are fully vaccinated who have had both doses of their shot plus 14 days to ramp up the immune system. So they should have the maximum protection against infection.”
The state is trying to vaccinate at least 20,000 residents per week, positioning the state at around eight and a half weeks until 70% herd immunity
“But when you think about it, that’s out of 825,000 people who have completed vaccination,” Char said. “Like a third of one percent of those who have been vaccinated are getting COVID, which is another way of saying that the vaccination really, really works.”
6 new cases Saturday
LIHU‘E — The Hawai‘i State Department of Health Kaua‘i District Health Office reported six new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday, July 10.
Saturday’s cases are all residents – five adults and one child. The source of infection for two of the cases is related to mainland travel. The remaining four cases are considered community acquired. All active cases are in isolation, and close contacts are being identified, offered testing, and directed to quarantine. Investigations are ongoing.
“Although two of today’s cases are in close contacts of previously announced cases, four of the cases have no known source of infection,” said Dr. Janet Berreman, Kaua‘i District Health Officer. “This is concerning and means that COVID-19 is spreading more widely in our community as it is statewide. If you are symptomatic, please isolate yourself immediately and arrange to be tested. If you haven’t already, please protect yourself and our community by getting vaccinated. Vaccines are our most effective tool against COVID-19, including the Delta variant. ”
Today’s cases bring the number of active cases to 30, with one hospitalized, and 458 cumulative cases. Kaua‘i’s cumulative case count includes 414 confirmed locally, three probable, and 41 positive cases diagnosed elsewhere, as they received their pre-travel test results after arriving on island.
Residents aged 18 and older are eligible for any vaccine available at pharmacy, hospital, and clinic locations. The Pfizer vaccine has been authorized for use in those 12 years of age and older, and are available at hospitals and pharmacies islandwide.
Vaccination is free and widely available on the island, including on weekends and evenings and pop-up vaccination opportunities at community sites. Most vaccination sites accept walk-ins. For details, visit www.kauai.gov/vaccine. Those who plan to travel can protect themselves and their families by being fully vaccinated before traveling.
Free testing is regularly open at the Convention Hall, weekdays, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis. Testing is also available through your primary care physician, a hospital, or an urgent care clinic. Please contact those providers directly for more information. For more details, visit https://www.kauai.gov/covidtest.
For more information on the county’s COVID-19 response, visit www.kauai.gov/COVID-19.
Get em barcode tatoo along with the Corona shot
This is the less harmful to child
Than the flu. It’s absolutely been proven. So you want to force all children to be mass vaccinated. No. Not ever. You cross the line when you no longer care about the well being of our children.
End this madness. Young people under 18 are at almost no risk for hospitalization or death from Covid. Why stab our youths with an vaccine only approved for experimental use. The info is coming out how this vaccine can cause damage to reproductive organs. They stopped giving the shot to people under 18 in Israel because the damage it was doing to boys testicles. End this medical tyranny. When the dust settles and all you guinea pigs are developing auto immune diseases, cancer and brain tumors from this deadly shot, all us “ crazy “ people who refused this tyranny will be vindicated in our reluctance to inject ourselves with experimental poison. Have fun believing you masters that are willing leading you to your doom. Protect the children! Do not give them this poison!!
It’s not just COVID-19 vaccine they are monitoring. Many of the kids will lack health care and will not make it in to the school system. This includes sports. If they go through with KIF football, this vaccine will have some effect on play. They may not be physically yet adaptable to the changes in the body. And the medicine. So this will be harder. Or lethal. They hope not.
Kids are not at risk. Flu far more dangerous. There is no research to suggest a child needs this vaccine. In fact there are many that suggest otherwise.
That is all.
Make the vaccine mandatory and watch families pull their kids out of DOE schools to homeschool or transfer to private schools. A lot of great teachers I know are also refusing the vaccine. Making it mandatory will make the teacher shortage even worse than it already is!
The fact that there are more unknown causal cases arising could possibly be because we are letting fully vaccinated people into our island with no testing required. Since these “vaccines” do not eliminate the infection or the spread of COVID, merely lessen the chance of infection, detection and spread, these people could very well be the cause. Unfortunately, this scenario doesn’t fit the narrative that our so called “health officials” want to present.