Mayor Roth Receives Single-Shot COVID Vaccine

Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth received the Johnson & Johnson single-shot COVID-19 vaccine Tuesday, March 16, at the Edith Kanakaʻole Tennis Stadium in Hilo.

“I was honored to embrace my kuleana as a public servant and proud community member by getting vaccinated today,” Roth said. “We are so close to beating this, and I encourage everyone to continue doing what you can to stop the spread and keep our community safe. The sooner that we can ensure our health and safety, the sooner we can return to the things we love most – like watching our kids play sports or seeing them graduate – in person. But first, we have to make sure that we can do that safely, and the vaccine will help with that.”

The vaccination pod was hosted by the Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (DOH) and required participants to be pre-registered. Tuesday’s pod was the first time that the newly authorized single-shot vaccine was administered publicly in the County of Hawaiʻi. Roth qualified for vaccination as an “essential worker” under Phase 1b of the Hawaiʻi State COVID-19 Vaccination Plan.

To learn more about when it’s your turn to get vaccinated, visit: hawaiicounty.gov/vaccination or hawaiicovid19.com to register today. The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health would like to remind residents that DOH vaccination pods are closed to walk-ins and require an appointment.