Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 3, 1 March 2021 — Page 2 Advertisements Column 1 [ADVERTISEMENT]

COVID-19 Q&A WITH DR. GERARD AKAKA ^mknu'E'm. COVID-19 vaccination programs are being rolled out around the world. Here in Hawai'i, more than 220,000 people have aiready been vaccinated, but the entire process will take months. Phase 1 of the rollout includes three priority groups. The first group includes health care personnel and long-term care facility residents - they were the first to receive vaccinations. The second priority group is currently being vaccinated. This group includes first responders (e.g., poliee, firefighters), frontline essential workers (e.g., school personnel and others whose work must be performed in-person), and kūpuna 75 years and older. The third priority group includes all other essential workers, kūpuna 65 years and older, and people 16-64 years ofage with high risk medical conditions. If all individuals in Phase 1 receive the vaccination, that will take care of 73% of Hawai'i's population. Phase 2 ofthe rollout should begin in the summer and will include people 16 years and older who are not in any of the other categories - the remaining 27% of the population. Dr. Cerard Akaka is vice president of Native Hawaiian Affairs & eiinieal Support for the Queen's Health Systems. He's an lnternal Medicine physician who served in the U.S. Air Force, then at the Wai'anae Coast Comprehensive Health Center before moving to the Queen's Medical Center. For the past 26 years he's had wonderful relationships with many Hawaiians as t heir kauka.