It’s been about four months since the federal government decided the COVID-19 national public health emergency was over — well after much of the public reached the same conclusion.

Still, COVID-19 has not gone away. In fact, COVID cases and hospitalizations are increasing in Hawaii and elsewhere, fueled by persistent changes to the highly contagious omicron variant.

Fortunately, just in time for the holiday season, newly approved COVID-19 vaccines will soon be available to just about everyone. Consult your doctor and if you can, get the jab. You’ll be protecting not only yourself, but those around you — including loved ones with immunocompromised conditions. The vaccines will be available to those aged 6 months or older.

The latest vaccines address the XBB lineages of the omicron variant that accounts for 99% of COVID-19 cases in Hawaii, according to the state Department of Health. They replace the bivalent boosters, which targeted older variants that may no longer be circulating.

Unlike previous versions, the new vaccines will be distributed through traditional pathways, not exclusively through the government. People with health insurance coverage should be able to get the shot without cost. Children should be able to get the COVID vaccines where they get their other routine childhood immunizations. For children and adults without insurance, federal programs offer access (visit Vaccines for Children Program Opens in a new tab and the Bridge Access Program Opens in a new tab for more information).

Since the first COVID-19 vaccines were introduced, the evidence overwhelmingly demonstrated that they could reduce the risks associated with the virus, from hospitalization to serious complications such as long COVID, as well as blocking infection entirely. They are a big part of the reason the pandemic has faded away, and people have been able to get on with their lives.

What’s worrisome is the tendency to assume that COVID-19 is over, and that the usual precautions — vaccines, masks, hand-washing — are unnecessary. Most people don’t wear masks anymore. The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) reported in March that as many as 75% of adults didn’t even get the protective bivalent boosters that were available since September 2022.

But it appears that COVID-19 is becoming endemic, and that the vaccines must become a normal part of the health care landscape. In fact, many adults surveyed by KFF said they would get an annual COVID-19 vaccine if it was offered seasonally, like the flu shot.

But of course, COVID-19 is not the flu. Recent studies suggest it remains more dangerous.

In a study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association in April, researchers studied mortality data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for the fall-winter season (October 2022 to January 2023). The results: During the study period, there were 8,996 hospital admissions due to COVID-19 and 2,403 for seasonal influenza. There were 538 deaths from COVID-19, and 76 from influenza.

As the government backs off from its dominant role in COVID-19 prevention, it’s crucial that the public and private sector take more responsibility.

At-home COVID-19 tests, for example, are no longer offered for free. But they remain a useful tool, a red flag to help someone avoid infecting others unknowingly. Health care insurers and providers, through their coverage or other means, should find ways to make the tests affordable and easily accessible to as many people as possible.

In any event, the old standbys — masking, physical distancing and good hygiene — are simple ways to protect against COVID-19 (or other respiratory diseases, for that matter). As always, consult your doctor and your child’s pediatrician as needed before getting the new vaccine. Let’s do our best to keep COVID-19 where it belongs: in the background and out of our lives.