Now ranked 7th in vaccines administered, this is great news. But what about Hawaii travel for those of you who have vaccinated?
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Mahalo for the updates. We plan to be in Kauai the last week of April, flying direct from San Jose. Hoping it works this time. It will be the fourth time we’ve rebooked. Also hoping the CDC provides better guidance for those of us who have been fully vaccinated. It just seems they want to hold onto their power longer instead of following the science, as they have so often preached.
you dont understand science. This has ZERO to do with holding on to some power.
Actually I beg to differ. I’ve worked on COVID trials so I do know a little bit about science.
The State of Israel has the highest rate of vaccinations in the world! They only use the Pfizer Vaccine. They have one of the best medical research facilities in the world (sorry CDC). They reported that all those with the 2 vaccines have a 0% chance of transmission. Yes, ZERO percent. So for those of us from the Mainland who are double-vaccinated prior to our trip to Hawaii (which will be 2 weeks after our 2nd shot), getting a COVID test 72 hours prior is a waste of time, as we probably won’t be transmissable anyway. Glad my Insurance company pays for the Rapid NAAT PCR test, but I still have to take time off from work to get tested. Mahalo BOH for all the updates. Our O’hana is excited to touch down in Maui in 36 days!!!
Aloha Steve. The preliminary Israel data indicates that asymptomatic transmission is likely to be proven rare with those who are fully vaccinated. The operative word is PRELIMINARY. Your post wrongly states that the data indicates ZERO transmission. Testing in the early stages of the epidemic and contact tracing is still vital in an unknown environment.
Totally agree. I hope the Lt. Gov. looks at vaccination results such as Israel to make a rational decision on people who have had the Pfizer or other vaccines. We are seeing what can happen when you give the government too much control.
LOL you can see what giving too much government control. Thats what you said right? Israel is NOT the usa and Their goverment can impose things on their citizens that never would happen in the usa.
The Lt Gov Josh Green is very aware of what’s going on in Israel however, he is not the main decision maker. That rest with the governor.
Aloha Donald. If you are “totally” agreeing with Steves…post, then you are agreeing to a false narrative. We don’t know yet if and which vaccines provide protection from asymptomatic transmission. He also totally ignored the effects of variants (Britain, Brazil, South Africa origins)on that supposition since the Israeli data only relates to the early mRNA-type vaccine.
Once again, vaccination is an important step, but testing and increased (variant) contact tracing will be around and necessary for the foreseeable future if we are to suppress the virus
I would not trust Israel to tell me anything about science. Give me a break. They cannot possibly know or say ZERO percent.
We are scheduled to travel to Maui in late April. Bob D.
I’ll be there April 21st. Can’t wait!
We have been booked for eight months! Cant wait for June!!
Aloha!
Have tickets for the beginning of September! So glad as it will be 2 years since being able to visit our daughter in Kauai. We are both vaccinated so no worries. Thank you for continuing to give us good information. You are the best!
Hi Cal.
Thanks. We’re glad you’ll be able to return soon to visit family on Kauai.
Aloha.
Aloha, I am hoping to visit kauai in December . I enjoy boh. Mahalo
Hi Marilyn.
Good to hear from you again. Glad you are planning to return. Please stay in touch.
Aloha.
This is not a CDC issue,. We have already booked a condo for 2022. If people would behave, and the TSA didn’t have remove remove and arrest people who refuse to follow rules and wear masks, many of us would be happy to travel now. Until the rest of us make the immature, “non-vaccers” understand they are pariahs in our society, they will continue to hold the rest of the country hostage.
Diana, my husband and I are,at this point, declining these experimental vaccines because there is zero data on longterm safety. That does not make us “immature non-vaccer pariahs.” We are highly educated people with advanced degrees, mine in psychology, my husband’s in computer science, math and statistics. In other words, we are more than capable of analyzing and interpreting data. Time, and only time, will tell us what, if any, negative, longterm issues these vaccines may cause. And yes, we will visit Hawaii unvaccinated.
You posted a similar comment previously. As an educated psychologist, I would invite you to study the background on mRNA development before and at the time of SARS CoV-1 in 2005. The science is clear on messenger RNA as a valuable tool in not only viral antibody response but shows promising signs to combat certain cancers by a similar strategy — blocking receptors on cancerous cells. You are entitled to your caution and opinion, but science says otherwise.
Your decision to remain UN-vaccinated simply adds to the problem of reaching a level of viral resistance that could help you, your family, your friends tamp down this rapidly evolving virus. I truly hope that you actually educate yourself on Pfizer/BION and Moderna mRNA approaches, rather than sending a self-serving message to readers who might actually believe that you know more than virologists and protein microbiologists.
As for the J&J approach, that is certainly not experimental. Think Polio and Smallpox. Same methodology. Benn around since the late ’40’s.
No one, and I mean NO ONE, knows what the longterm effects of these vaccines will be. MRNA has never been a vaccine strategy despite being around for over two decades. There is a reason that we do not rush vaccines to market:Despite technological advances in process, it is not possible to speed up processes in the human body. I suggest that you do some research into how the Moderna and Pfiz/Bion studies were conducted and their current status. It is not terribly comforting. While we await longterm results, emphasis must be placed on therapeutics and health strategies. It is highly unlikely that these experimental vaccines which do not yet have FDA approval will be the silver bullet we would wish for.
As for my research, I readily admit that I am not a microbiologist nor virologist. My niece at Duke who teaches microbiology related to protein therapies directed me and continues to update me on literature in the field, peer reviewed and published. It was she who explained the methodology behind mRNA. This particular approach was developed but not needed to deploy in 2005 for SARS CoV-1, as the virus did not take hold and transmit with the rapidity of CoV-2.
As for rushing to market, please re-read the graph above. The approach has been in development for almost 20 years, not only for virus blocking purposes, but as mentioned earlier to address cancer at the cellular level.
As for “speeding up the processes in the human body”, perhaps you misunderstand the approach of the mRNA vaccine. This Messenger RNA targets the spike protein of the CV-19 virus particles and alerts the natural antibodies to recognize and then neutralize those viral particles. There is no speeding up. It simply helps the body identify the nature of the invader, and antibodies already present do the rest.
Pfizer/Bion and Moderna based their approach, as mentioned above, on the years of prior research to combat a similar virus. They are continuing to “tweak” the mRNA to hopefully address the variants that are taking over the morphology of the original virus structure. As the Israel study of a 60% vaccinated population has disclosed, the vaccine APPEARS (my emphasis, because the results are preliminary) to even prevent asymptomatic transmission by individuals infected post-vaccination. As you probably know, the efficacy of the vaccine was judged by the FDA panel at 95% to prevent serious complications from infection. So, if you have some reason in your research for “not being very comforted”, please share.
I won’t pretend to change your mind, just to remind others that deciding not to vaccinate ensures that your body is not protected, and that your infection affects others.
Great information. My son-in-law is also a microbiologist and he agrees with what you stated in your post. It’s odd that so many “medical specialists” come out of the woodwork when somebody posts information that contradicts popular sentiment. Many people ignore the fact that researchers have been working on this process and on SARS for decades. Thank goodness it was approved for emergency use or we’d be locked down for years waiting for a vaccine.
We are so excited to finally get over to Hanalei, muddy road and all. This is our 3rd time but it looks like May 21st is going to work! (fingers crossed). We have family in Hanalei and it’s been too long of a wait! If we have to take a boat in or paddle in, we’ll do it!
My wife and I, both vaccinated, leave for Maui for 2 weeks this Friday from CA. The trip has been postponed and rescheduled several times since the end of August 2020. Got a “good deal” on a car and paid over $600 for 2 weeks. Been here more than 20 times and highest by alot…saw rentals above $1000!!!
Aloha Larry,
I to have sticker shock from rental car shopping. We called “off airport car rentals “ and got the sorry sold out. You got lucky, I caved and took the $$$ car at the airport. My only regret is we wanted to spend those $$$ on local business, restaurants, activities etc. The $ you are paying is what I paid 2 years ago.
Many thanks to the guys at BOH for all you do.
Mahalo nui loa
Hi Greg.
Thanks. Sorry to hear about your car rental experience. If you want to send your dates and car types, we’ll be happy to have a look too.
Aloha.
It looks like car rental companies all over the US are raising rental fees. We have a trip planned for the Dallas area in May and the rates have doubled just since our last trip in December. Maybe they are attempting to recover from 2020 lost revenue.
Thank you for you continuous update of travel to Hawaii. We have reservations for April 23 to Mauai and April 30th to Kauai, going on on May 7th. This has been our annual trip for 15 years. Had to cancel last year, but wlllnot this year. Have reservations for COVID testing within 72 hours of travel, even though we both have had both shots and 4 weeks from last shot. Would be nice if our vaccination would get us onto the islands w/o testing. And we have signed up with Safe Hawaii……
We are using you emails as our guidance for travel…..Mahalo.
Hi Sharie.
Thanks. We look forward to learning soon at least about that first interisland vaccination travel piece that has been talked about for April.
Aloha.
We are visiting Maui in June-we will be fully vaccinated by the end of April.
We are coming to Kauai on May 5th. Can’t wait. Hope all we’ll need by then is a vaccine, because we finished our 2nd shot 3 weeks ago, falling within the 3 month window. Sure want to see our lovely Kauai and it’s wonderful people.
Aloha!!!
I have an airline ticket purchased for departure 4/20 to Honolulu. I will be completely vaccinated with an additional 4 week window after second vaccination. I also have a $204.00 Covid test calculated and scheduled within the 72 hour last leg of departure factoring in an airline delay before arriving in Honolulu. I have done everything by the book to visit the Island of Oahu. I missed visiting in 2020 but have visiting 12 times between 2010-2019. The struggle to make this trip come to fruition is well worth the aggravation if indeed the Island remains Tier 3.
Plans are to come into Honolulu April 20 for a 7 night stay on Waikiki beach condo! There will be 5 adults.
Excited for our 8-night trip at the end of May. We’re celebrating our daughter’s college graduation and looking forward to our first post-COVID trip. All 9 of us traveling are fully vaccinated.
Your articles are always appealing and timely topics. Thanks for keeping us informed. We can’t wait for our trip!!
Hi Cristal.
Thanks for that. We hope you have a great trip.
Aloha.
After being cancelled twice this past year we decided to try one more time. We have booked a month for October 2021. We are fully vaccinated and continue to be safe when around people and especially large crowds. We are keeping our fingers crossed that travel in October will be back to near as norm as possible. We’ve missed our beloved friends & family and so looking forward to our vacation.
My husband and I are visiting Maui in April. We did switch our flight from March to April when it was looking iffy that my husband would have both vaccines in time. We’re both over 2 weeks out from our 2nd dose and ready to travel again. The part that worries me is testing. There isn’t a convenient, approved testing site near me.
Fingers crossed that being vaccinated will become a green light for travel to Hawaii (in addition to taking the other precautions, of course). We will receive our 2nd Pfizer dose March 22nd, with plans for travel to Maui April 18. It’s very nerve-racking having to worry that a negative COVID test result might not get back in time for departure. It places the traveler at the mercy of the testing agency. I’m trying to understand how some of the airlines have managed to get “permission” for their travelers to Hawaii to obtain a rapid test at the airport before departure. AA w/CareNow is charging a steep $249 pp for it. If some travelers are being allowed to take a rapid test, why isn’t everyone, especially if you are vaccinated? My understanding is that if your test result doesn’t come in before departure, you must quarantine for 10 days even if you receive a negative result while in Hawaii. Can anyone confirm this for me? Why not allow vaccinated Americans (with proof of vaccination from the administering health facility) to get a rapid test within 24 hours of departure from the last leg of their journey to Hawaii?
My husband and I have had a trip planned to Maui for a while now. We did have covid a month and a half ago and also received our first Pfizer vaccine last week. Our second shot is on the 2nd of April. I know with us having covid under 90 days we need an exemption letter from doctor. Is Maui allowing exemptions with recovery from covid?
I find it fairly obvious that the vaccine is unproven yet.
People keep thinking that if they have the vaccinations, they’re good to go. It’s not that easy.
Efficacy isn’t known in a real world setting and the variants have increased the possibilities that the vaccines aren’t adequate to protect the recipient or others around them.
It took a long time to get in this mess, it’s going to be a while before we’re out of it.
Patience is a virtue and I’d hope that people itching to travel will step back and give the professionals time to analyze the data.
In layman’s terms, chill out and stay safe. Hawaii doesn’t need to go backwards and increase cases of covid-19.
Stay safe and be blessed.
Mahalo Beat of Hawaii for the information.
Aloha 🌺🌺
We’re scheduled to arrive HNL April 21. Already vaccinated and registered with Hawaii health site for Covid test results.
We’ve just kissed off 2021 and booked Jan. of 2022. We REALLY hope it will be a semi-smooth procedure by then! I have noticed that rental cars are now made of gold!!
Mahalo for all your updates and putting up with the bad behavior of the few entitled A$#&*#@. See you in January!!
Barney
Hi Barney.
Thanks. Love your humor about the car rental situation, which we concur isn’t good. Consolidation isn’t helping.
Aloha.
What’s going on with rental cars???
Yes. I noticed the rental car issue too. Minivan for 10 days $1300. Used to be $550. Mauivans is cheap but not at the airport. about $800. But yes. OUCH!
We have plane tickets and room reservation on the big island for August 24-31. We are fully vaccinated. Holding our breath until we find out requirements.
We are fully vaccinated and plan to go to Kauai and Oahu the end of September. Hopefully by then inter island and mainland flights will be without tests or quarantine with proof of vaccine!
After two cancelled trips in 2020 we have tickets in hand and reservations for a long term condo on Oahu beginning April 6. Wife and I are both Pfizer vaxd. Daughter will be over to visit for a week and she too is Pfizer vaxd. BIL & wife will come visit in May for a week and have the Johnson Johnson vax. We are all coming to enjoy the beauty of Hawaii and help the tattered economy there. Mahalo to BoH for the always informative updates.
Hi Al.
Thanks for your many comments. We’re glad you and your family will be returning to Hawaii this Spring.
Aloha.
We are slated to arrive on the Big Island in May. We have both been vaccinated but are very worried that we will arrive on the island and have issues!! We usually vacation there in May every year. Its really about time that the Governor steps up as we feel we have done our part!
We are going to be on Kauai in late May. We will be fully vaccinated and ready to help boost to Kauai’s economy and support the locals. Thank you for the great updates!
Hi Kristie.
We hope you have a great time on Kauai this May. Thanks for visiting.
We have trips planned for June on Oahu, and November for the Big Island. Sure hope we get to take both, as we’re supposed to see family on both trips. We’ve missed seeing our kids there for a year. Praying the pandemic will wind down and Hawaii travel will slowly resume. We miss being there on a regular basis.
Mahalo for keeping us informed, and we’re looking forward to hearing information about possible vaccination passports, or using CDC cards to travel.
Hi Lee.
We hope that it all goes well for your June and November Hawaii trips. Please let us know.
Aloha.
It’s hard, but we will wait and see. I’d rather have 20 future vacations than one now when it’s got lots of unanswered questions. Truly appreciate your frequent and helpful updates. We have reservations at our timeshare for Sept but will cancel if CDC does not bless our trip. It’ll make the “next time we see our Hawaii” that much sweeter! Mahalo.
Hi Haller.
We hope you can return in September.
Aloha.
We plan to be on Oahu this upcoming Wednesday! Can’t wait! Hawaii needs to make inter island travel easier for not only residents but visitors. We will be going to Maui 6 days after we arrive and need to test AGAIN 72 hours before. Seems redundant especially since we have both shots.
I hope you realize that none of the vaccines prevent you from GETTING covid or from SPREADING covid right? They are only shown to reduce symptoms…literally that is what the trials ‘tested’. These are facts – readily available form the vac makers themselves by the way. You should also know that NONE of these are approved by the FDA. Not one. They are allowed to be used under EAU – emergency authorization use – which literally means you are part of the experimental studies with them. I love you all dearly and wish you all the best.
Thank you for mentioning this. Just because someone gets vaccinated for COVID19 does not mean all the issues are solved! As much as I love Hawaii and all it’s beautiful splendor, I am not ready to become part of the experiment. Trying not to get discouraged about future travel…
Yes. All of this.
I am getting vaccinated next month and will book a Hawaii vacation as soon as exemptions are made for vaccinated people.
The Vaccination “Passport” really only affects those who have been vaccinated (common sense, yes) … so, when the CDC warns against travel, are they really including those who have received both shots? Why not put the Vaccination plan into place since those who have been fully vaccinated are the “most safe” anyone can expect them to be. Those not vaccinated still have to pre-travel test. Why is this so difficult???
We(4 of us) have been fully vaccinated and will be in Oahu and then Kauai between April 15 & 28. Since we canceled our plans twice last year, we couldn’t be looking forward to this more.
Thank you so much for keeping us updated on everything on the Hawaiian front. You guys do a wonderful job!
Unfortunately for me, I do not intend to get one of the Covid shots any time soon. So that means I will have to wait until all plane travel opens up to Hawaii with no restrictions. I’m sad about that but it is what it is. Thank you!!
Hi Carrie.
Thanks. We appreciate the feedback on vaccination travel.
Aloha.
I’ll be there April 21st. Can’t wait!
I’m in the same boat as you, Carrie. We have been going to Hawaii every year for the past several years, but we will not be getting the covid shots either so I guess it will be a while before we go back too. At least it has given us a chance last year and this year to see a lot of beautiful states on the mainland that we hadn’t traveled to before!
I traveled to hilo in Dec to visit my son and grandkids. Going back in May. I will have had both shots by Then
As a property owner in hawaii and a fully vaccinated person I feel that I have done my part to help assure hawaii that I am safe to travel. Vaccine passports should be on the forefront to open borders and travel. Some other countries such as the Dominican Republic are allowing fully vaccinated individuals to bypass the COVID tests to visit. Hawaii should be the same. Safe and positive steps to open the economy are very necessary
aloha Marjorie. Please read the post from WPC. Those facts are true. The vaccines protect you from serious consequences. They don’t prevent or make you immune. You can still contract and transmit, thus the need for testing to keep our islands relatively safe. A CV-19 test is rather simple. What’s your objection to testing when vaccinated?
Aloha and thank you for a great BOH blog and keeping us informed. My wife and I had a 3-week vacation planned for May 2020 (we planned on looking at condos for retirement), but that got nixed with COVID-19. My wife, a nurse, has already had both Moderna shots, and I’ve had my first Pfizer shot (age) with my second shot in April, so we’re closely watching Gov. Ige’s next move along with the CDC to see if we can return to The Garden Island in 2021!
Hi Tom.
Thanks. We too are anxiously awaiting more news on travel for those who have been vaccinated.
Aloha.
Worst case is that you will need a COVID test within 72 hours of your trip. Your May trip should be safe. Best case, no test required for fully vaccinated but I doubt that will happen by May for mainland travelers
Good Evening Tom (6pm here in Alabama), I’m planning my life long dream vacation trip to Oahu next year! I’m waiting for the vaccine passport to become official which I think will happen sometime this year. I’m a teacher & fully vaccinated. I’m getting very excited about my trip!!♡♡
Plan to travel to Hawaii April 15. I’m fully vaccinated with Moderna, 2 doses 3 weeks ago.
Hi Irene, I hope that you have a wonderful time! I’m planning my life long dream vacation trip to Oahu next year! I’m getting very excited ♡♡
At this point, I think most people are pretty much done with the CDC and their “guidelines”. Where we live, life has pretty much returned to normal and yet cases, deaths, and hospitalizations continue to decline.
We went to Maui last month and we will be back to Kauai in September and we will have been vaccinated!
Mahalo BOH!
Hi Ed.
Thanks for the feedback and for all of your many comments.
Aloha.
Hi Ed, I’m planning my life long dream vacation trip to Oahu next year & I’m getting very excited!!♡♡
Aloha Ed. The guidelines are in place because vaccinations don’t prevent you from contracting nor make you immune. A simple CV-19 test is needed to prevent asymptomatic transfer in crowded airports and here on our precious islands. You may feel that where you live is “back to normal”, but 14 mostly Midwestern states and now Europe are demonstrating that the pandemic is far from over.