Families won’t need to leave their car to get their children, ages 5-11, vaccinated. Hawaii Pacific Health, the Hawaii Department of Health and the Honolulu Fire Department are teaming up to allow parents to get their kids vaccinated, including multiple siblings, from the comfort of their vehicle.
This effort will make the process quick, convenient and kid-friendly. Children can remain in the car with their family, enjoying a favorite toy, snack and fun activity. Parents, who need to make a reservation to get their children vaccinated, can just drive away after the required 15-minute observation period following the vaccination.
“We know that many families prefer this type of drive-through option,” said Dr. Melinda Ashton, Executive Vice President and Chief Quality Officer for Hawaii Pacific Health. “This is a convenient way for siblings to all get their shots and allows parents to be right there with their kids. We’re glad we can offer this safe and effective vaccination service.”
Online appointments are available for Aloha Stadium vaccinations this weekend, Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 13-14, for the first-ever HPH Keiki Vax Squad Drive-Through. Based on the scheduling, there are 720 appointments available each day from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Depending on how many children are in each vehicle, up to 2,800 children could be vaccinated each day.
“We will have the space and staff to host 60 cars for each appointment, which will lead to a fluid-moving process that is very similar to our vaccination operations at Pier 2, Vax Squad mobile sites and vaccine clinics at our medical centers,” said Carl Hinson, Director of Workforce Development for Hawaii Pacific Health. “We have been planning this for months, realizing how important it is for parents and our community to get our keiki vaccinated.”
From the very beginning, the Honolulu Fire Department has been deeply involved and instrumental with the statewide COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts. HFD fully supports Hawaii Pacific Health and its Keiki Vax Squad Drive-Through event to encourage parents of children ages 5-11 to get them vaccinated. HFD will provide equipment and logistical support, which includes setting up this particular point of dispersal, or POD, at Aloha Stadium’s Kamehameha parking lot. HFD will also be assisting with directing traffic flow and ensuring a smooth operation.
“The Honolulu Fire Department is proud to continue to work with HPH and our other community partners to ensure that our island families, and now their younger children, can have easy access to vaccines,” said HFD Fire Battalion Chief Damien Kahaulelio.
HFD will supply 16 personnel each day this weekend to assist with the HPH Keiki Vax Squad Drive-Through event. They stand ready to help other community partners as requested.
Hawaii Pacific Health is proud to be the first certified vaccination provider in the state of Hawaii to administer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children, ages 5-11, on Wednesday, Nov. 3. In the first four days, HPH has administered 1,608 vaccinations for children ages 5-11 through its combined efforts at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic and Straub Medical Center’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic on Oahu, as well as the Wilcox Medical Center’s COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic on Kauai.
HPH’s online appointment system for COVID-19 vaccines allows parents and legal guardians to schedule appointments for children ages 5-11. This will be the same process for the two weekend vaccination events at Aloha Stadium and Kapolei High School.
The HPH Keiki Vax Squad Drive-Through events at Aloha Stadium are on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 13 and 14 (second-dose days will be on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 4 and 5). All events will run from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. at the Kamehameha Lot (located at the rail station lot across the street from the main entrance of the Aloha Stadium).
The second HPH Keiki Vax Squad Drive-Through event will be at Kapolei High School on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 20 and 21 (second-dose days will be on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 11 and 12). There will be more information on the Kapolei High School drive-through process next week.
The consent process for a child to receive the vaccine begins with the online registration. Appointments for children ages 5-11 must be scheduled by the child’s parent or legal guardian. By scheduling the appointment, the parent or legal guardian grants permission for the vaccine to be administered. Children must also be accompanied by an adult or legal guardian, who will be required to show an ID at the time of check-in.
Vaccine Clinic Process and Appointment Scheduling
To schedule an appointment for the HPH Keiki Vax Squad Drive-Through vaccine clinics, visit HawaiiPacificHealth.org/COVID19Vaccine and click on the “Drive-Through Vaccine Clinic” icon.
To schedule an appointment at either Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children or Straub Medical Center, visit HawaiiPacificHealth.org/COVID19Vaccine.
To schedule an appointment at Wilcox Medical Center, visit WilcoxHealth.org/Vaccine.
For a full schedule of upcoming HPH mobile vaccine clinics on Oahu, which are also offering the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5-11, visit HawaiiPacificHealth.org/COVIDVaxSquad.
PHOTO CAPTION: Honolulu Fire Department Fire Battalion Chief Damien Kahaulelio (left) joined Hawaii Pacific Health Executive Vice President & Chief Quality Officer Dr. Melinda Ashton and Hawaii Pacific Health Director of Workforce Development Carl Hinson on Monday, Nov. 8, for a news conference announcing the details of the upcoming drive-through vaccine clinics on Oahu for keiki and their families.