Question: Regarding booster shots, what about people who got their first COVID- 19 vaccine shots outside the United States? Can they get a booster here? My wife is from the Philippines but lives here full-time now.
Answer: Yes, if they are age 12 or older, have received all recommended primary doses of a COVID- 19 vaccine authorized in the United States or by the World Health Organization, and it’s been at least five months since they completed the primary vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Q: Even if they didn’t initially get one of the U.S. vaccines?
A: Yes. People vaccinated abroad who did not receive a U.S.-authorized vaccine but who did receive a WHO-authorized vaccine, or received both a U.S.- and WHO-authorized vaccine, “can get a single booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at least 5 months after getting all recommended doses or completing a mix-and-match COVID-19 vaccine series,” the CDC says.
People vaccinated abroad who received Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson (the U.S.- authorized vaccines) may follow the same advice regarding booster shots as people vaccinated in the United States, it says.
Q: My understanding is that in order to dine in at an Oahu restaurant, you must produce your COVID-19 vaccine card, or if unvaccinated, provide a valid negative test. But one restaurant I called said they are only accepting vaccinated customers to dine in. They are not allowing nonvaccinated people to dine in, even if the person can produce a valid negative test. Can a restaurant do this?
A: Yes, according to the municipal government. Your understanding of the Safe Access O‘ahu program is correct. If diners age 12 and up want to eat inside an Oahu restaurant (as opposed to picking up takeout) they must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result. However, “businesses covered by Safe Access O‘ahu can adopt stricter rules if they want,” according to oneoahu.org, a Honolulu County website that explains pandemic-era rules for businesses and the general public. COVID-19 safety protocols can be stricter than the program’s rules, but not less strict, it says.
Safe Access O‘ahu covers “restaurants, bars, gyms, movie theaters, arcades and other similar establishments,” the website says. Other businesses can participate if they wish.
Q: My son gave me N95 masks he said were better than the cloth masks I’ve been using. I thought those were only for health care workers. Is it OK if I wear them?
A: Yes. Federal health authorities clarified recommendations about face masks and respirators last week, saying that people generally no longer need to worry about supply shortages that had affected earlier guidance. “Surgical N95s” are a specific type of respirator that still should be reserved for health care settings, but regular N95s and KN95s are available to the general public, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read details at cdc.gov.
Mahalo
Mahalo to the 911 call staff and the two young Honolulu Police Department officers who responded to my 5 a.m. call about a frequent homeless dumpster- diver at my Moiliili condo building on Kapiolani Boulevard. It took less than 5 minutes for them to arrive, respectfully assess the situation, and ask me, a Board of Director member for my association, what I wanted done. They took pictures of him and ID information to document any recurring future problems. They also suggested steps to take to assist HPD regarding the area’s homeless population. Being from Manoa and now living in Moiliili, I was surprised to see the speed and proactive effort by these professionals in a not-so-moneyed area. I forgot to ask your names, but mahalo for serving and protecting a senior community. — Greg Tabasa
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 7-500, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
