Hilo Medical Center has started distributing the second round of COVID-19 Pfizer vaccines to health care professionals who have received their first shot.
Derek Namihira is a nurse and educator at HMC and got his second dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Friday afternoon.
“After getting this last dose, I’m excited to help out the community and start getting some control over this,” Namihira said. “I hope as more people are vaccinated, we can keep our numbers low and develop herd immunity.”
After his first dose, Namihira felt the typical soreness in his arm that he usually feels after a shot, but did not have any side effects.
“I’m happy I could do my part, and I hope others in the community will step forward as well,” Namihira said.
Many hospital workers and health care providers have been coming in every day to get the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine, which has been available since Dec. 23. HMC will continue to distribute first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine to health care personnel and long-term care facility residents, which is estimated to be 6% of the state’s population, as the first component of the first phase of the Department of Health’s vaccine plan.