Thousands of Hawaii residents who were fully vaccinated against the coronavirus with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine are now eligible for booster shots, but the state Department of Health is urging that priority be given to those who still haven’t gotten their first or second doses of a vaccine.

State health officials also recommend that priority for booster shots be given to individuals 65 and older and those ages 50 to 64 who have underlying medical conditions that make them particularly susceptible to severe illness and hospitalization from COVID-19.

Other segments of the population are also eligible for the booster shots, but the Department of Health says providers should only consider administering doses to those groups if there is enough supply.

“As the science and the virus evolves, DOH will continue to make evidence-based decisions to ensure those at highest risk for severe illness have access to vaccines,” said Director of Health Dr. Elizabeth Char in a news release today. “We will have enough booster shots for everyone, but please allow those at highest risk for severe illness to receive their shots first. DOH’s first priority will remain encouraging unvaccinated Hawaii residents to complete their primary vaccine series.”

Health officials said other groups eligible to receive booster shots, based on individual benefits and risks, include:

>> Individuals ages 18-49 with underlying medical conditions.

>> Individuals ages 18-64 and at high risk for occupational or institutional exposure, such as health care workers and teachers.

While, the Department of Health has issued prioritization guidelines, health officials are relying on providers and the public to voluntarily adhere to them.

“We hope that people will follow it. We are not going to stand at individual vaccination sites and take full medical histories and make people prove things,” said Char during a news conference this afternoon. “But we would hope that they would honor that, because at the end of the day it’s all about keeping our community safe. This is the best way that we are going to be able to accomplish that.”

Char advised that people take their vaccine cards to providers to show that they have passed the six month window for their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech.

Char said she didn’t have an exact number of how many people are immediately eligible for the boosters. She said that the state currently has 90,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and is waiting to see what the state’s future allocation will be.

“Please keep in mind that we are going to be one of fifty states that’s looking for additional doses of Pfizer, so we are waiting to see what that number turns out to be,” she said.

As of March 24, six months ago, 219,335 Hawaii residents were fully vaccinated, according to state data. It’s not clear what percentage of that population received the Pfizer-BioNTech or what percentage qualifies for the boosters under the federal criteria.

Earlier this month, the Department of Health said that it had the capacity to administer more than 60,000 doses a week through the state’s current vaccination sites.

Booster shots have only been approved for individuals who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Federal agencies are expected to review an extra dose of the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines in the coming weeks.

The Health Department stressed that giving a Pfizer-BioNTech booster to someone who received the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines is not authorized nor recommended.

“Individuals are still considered fully vaccinated 14 days after their second dose. Booster doses provide additional protection, but the primary two-dose series continues to protect vaccinated individuals against severe illness, hospitalization and death,” according to the Department of Health.

Anyone who received Pfizer vaccines, and are unsure if they qualify for a booster should check with their health care provider.