COVID vaccines highly effective in Hawaii, study shows

A new analysis of COVID-19 breakthrough infections in Hawaii has found that the vaccines have so far proven highly effective at preventing fully vaccinated individuals from being hospitalized or dying.

Officials with the Hawaii Department of Health reviewed data on deaths that occurred between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30 and found that fully vaccinated individuals up to the age of 59 were 34 times less likely to die of COVID-19 than individuals who were unvaccinated. That protection waned with age, but the vaccines still proved to be effective in those ages 60 and older. Among that age group, vaccinated individuals were nine times less likely to die of COVID-19 than those who were unvaccinated.

Of the 483 COVID-19 deaths during that time period, just 36 were among individuals who were fully vaccinated.

Similarly, of the 1,659 individuals hospitalized with the corona­virus infection, 146 were fully vaccinated.

The analysis also looked at whether the vaccines were less effective against the delta variant, which took hold in Hawaii in July and caused a major surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Health officials found that there was an uptick in fully vaccinated individuals being hospitalized or dying, but that those incidents remained “relatively uncommon.”

All but one of the 36 deaths in fully vaccinated individuals occurred when the delta variant hit Hawaii. Four of those deaths occurred in individuals under the age of 60.

State Epidemiologist Dr. Sarah Kemble said that the findings for Hawaii mirror national studies.

“Even as we have seen continuing success in increasing our vaccine coverage in Hawaii, so that now the vast majority of people in Hawaii are fully vaccinated, the vast majority of hospitalizations and deaths are still among the small remaining population of unvaccinated,” said Kemble.

The analysis did not take into account which vaccines were used. Kemble said that the sample size was too small to account for differences in vaccines.

While the findings reinforce confidence in the effectiveness of the vaccines, there continue to be concerns about waning immunity. Booster shots have recently been approved for all three of the available vaccines and Kemble urged any adults who feel that they may be at heightened risk for severe illness from COVID-19, whether it be due to underlying health conditions or work-related exposure, to get a booster shot.

Booster shots are available for individuals whose last dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine was six months ago. For individuals who received the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the wait time is just two months.

As 2021 nears an end and Hawaii’s COVID-19 cases remain low, state officials have been cautiously optimistic that pandemic restrictions will ease in the new year. However, there are also ongoing concerns about a new surge in Europe that could foreshadow what’s to come in the United States, waning immunity and the potential of a new, more dangerous variant.

Lt. Gov. Josh Green on Friday told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s “Spotlight Hawaii” that the state is in “about the best possible situation in the country,” with its high vaccination rates and relatively low case counts.

He said that if cases continue to remain low through the holiday season, the state may do away with its mask mandates and other restrictions in the new year. He also said that “from a government standpoint, we probably should back away from the emergency proclamation.”

Green said Hawaii should also begin to mend the social tensions that have arisen over vaccine mandates and pandemic restrictions. “We have to come back together as a community,” said Green.

On Friday, the Department of Health reported five new coronavirus-related deaths and 138 new infections statewide, bringing the state’s totals since the start of the pandemic to 976 fatalities and 85,628 cases. There were just 12 COVID-19 patients in intensive care units statewide and 10 patients on ventilators.