Editorial: Smooth vaccine rollout is crucial

It’s just what the doctor ordered — the economists, too. The vaccines countering the coronavirus pandemic are seen nationwide as key to restoring increasing degrees of normalcy to life as 2021 unfurls.

Nowhere is this being felt more acutely than in Hawaii, which witnessed so much job loss when tourism, on which it is so dependent, fell away to almost nothing.

Above all, a well-administered vaccination program will provide some peace of mind that everyone needs to replace the gnawing fear of a deadly coronavirus — a fear that has intensified with news of a more infectious strain. But on the economic front, getting more and more people vaccinated will make people less wary of social and commercial activity — and of getting on a plane.

As much as the state’s pretravel testing program has enabled at least a partial reboot of tourism, there are undoubtedly many potential visitors who would rather wait for vaccination than navigate the complications of testing negative before boarding.

There are many months to go, as proper caution requires that everyone continue following guidance about social distancing, masking and hygiene. But the vaccines clearly represents the path to recovery and the economic boost the state desperately needs. Hawaii needs to seize it firmly.

The initial weeks of the vaccination rollout have seemed sluggish to island residents. Officials here last week were assuring them that the pace will pick up quickly after the holiday weekend.

We all can hope that’s true but, in the meantime, also should insist on better, wide-reaching communications about what to expect and when. Getting nervous and impatient about something so consequential is a natural response for people left in the dark.

In the months leading up to the release of the first two vaccines engineered byPfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, the timing of their development was caught up in the political rhetoric that infused the presidential election year.

Many people worried that the process was being rushed, and expressed reluctance to accept shots of a drug that pioneered a new technology in vaccines, called mRNA.

Some of that aversion began to dissipate, according to popular polling, as the national surge in COVID-19 infections accelerated, and as trusted scientists and community leaders took the injections publicly, demonstrating their confidence in its safety.

In Hawaii, little of that reticence has been in evidence. By contrast, many have vented their frustration that states received fewer doses than expected, and that the distribution has thus far barely scratched the surface.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green, the state’s COVID-19 response coordinator, acknowledged the disappointment that the initial distribution of 66,000 doses fell well short of the 81,000 allotment expected at the outset. This was a common experience of most states.

However, his assessment on Thursday was optimistic, projecting that by mid-January, distribution will ramp up significantly. Seniors 75 and older who live independently will begin receiving the first of the two shots these vaccines require. About 150,000 doses are expected to arrive each month after that, Green said.

“We’ve already vaccinated about 4,000 more people in Hawaii than all the people who have had COVID-19 here,” he added; the count was current as of New Year’s Eve. At that point about 25,000 doses had been injected in arms statewide, whereas the infection case count for the duration of the pandemic stood at around 21,400.

This provides some perspective for Hawaii’s early status, a few weeks in, but it won’t do to sit back and trust that things will go swimmingly from here on. States could have used an earlier federal funding assist with distribution, Green said — leasing large sites, hiring extra hands.

Thankfully, some of those funds should arrive with the enactment of the new COVID-19 federal relief package; the state must be ready to get the funds quickly to the partners who will be getting the vaccine out to the people.

But for now, Hawaii has been managing with volunteers and staff at hospitals. More private partners are expected to come on board, Green said, adding that it has helped that the military has been taking care of its troops and dependents.

Green plans to update the public on Tuesday about the rollout, which will include large sites being set up statewide in January.

He also pledges to unveil the communications strategy, with is crucial to ensure a smooth implementation. This is the largest public health initiative in Hawaii’s history, which means an informed public is critical to success.

The two vaccines are the most powerful tool available for defeating this deadly virus, with Johnson &Johnson likely to gain approval of a third in February.

Even so, this will take time, and maintaining masking, safe distancing and hygiene protocols will be essential for months to come.

Declaring victory too soon in this battle would be a fatal mistake.