Fewer Hawaii Residents Receiving COVID-19 Booster Shots

As Hawaii’s COVID-19 positive rate rises, fewer Hawaii residents are receiving booster shots.

The findings are based on the latest public health report from UHERO, a research arm of the University of Hawaii, released January 5, 2023. report. UHERO compared the findings of the study to a previous report conducted in May 2022 and published on June 20, 2022. Researchers regularly survey a group of her 2,000 adult residents in the state.

COVID-19 positivity and vaccination

The report found an increase in COVID-19 positivity rates since UHERO’s last COVID-19 report. In November, 46% of respondents said he had tested positive for COVID-19 at least once. In May, only 25% of respondents tested positive for COVID-19. The report shows high incidence of COVID-19 among young adults, Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders, Filipinos, and individuals who have not been vaccinated or boosted.

Hawaii has the highest vaccination coverage in the United States, with 95% of respondents vaccinated. However, only 27% of respondents received her bivalent booster shot. Only 10% of her adults under the age of 50 receive bivalent booster shots. Native Hawaiian and Filipino respondents had the lowest intake of bivalent booster shots.

The survey shows high prevalence of COVID over time, with approximately 30% of infected individuals reporting lingering long-term effects. The expected duration of symptoms was 4.5 months for him. These symptoms include mental fog, headaches, coughing, shortness of breath, extreme fatigue, joint and chest pain, and loss of taste and smell. , said to be severe or very severe symptoms.

Awareness of COVID-19

According to the report, community perceptions of safety against COVID-19 have increased since the last survey. About 69% of respondents said he felt safe or very safe in November, while 61% felt safe or very safe in May. Respondents who were not vaccinated were more likely to feel safe than those who were vaccinated.

And about 85% of respondents said the worst of the US pandemic is already behind us. This is up from the last survey, with 76% of his respondents believing the worst of the US pandemic is past.

People also reported feeling COVID fatigue, especially among those who weren’t vaccinated, and those who were vaccinated without booster shots.

Impact of COVID-19

The economic and financial impact of the pandemic continued. Of the respondents, 29% reported running out of savings, 14% were unable to pay their bills, and 9% did not have enough food at home.

In the November survey, more respondents reported experiencing long-term COVID symptoms and job loss. Of those who were unemployed, 47% reported long-term COVID symptoms, an increase of 5% from the last survey.

“Overall, as we enter a new phase of the pandemic, people in Hawaii are beginning to feel confident that the worst of the pandemic is behind them and are taking fewer COVID-19 boosters,” UHERO, in a news release. “Severe impacts exacerbated by the pandemic, including long-term COVID, mental health issues, and the long-term impact of COVID on unemployment, could pose significant challenges that require oversight.”

Here’s a link to the full report.

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Send an email to michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.