Waimea Hospital Offering Bivalent COVID Booster

Big Island residents can now receive the newest COVID-19 booster shot at a North Hawai‘i hospital.

Queen’s North Hawai‘i Community Hospital in Waimea is now offering the Pfizer bivalent booster for people 12 and older who have already completed their primary COVID vaccination series. The updated COVID booster was formulated to better protect against the most recently circulating variant and can help restore protection that has waned since previous vaccinations.

The bivalent vaccine is only a booster dose and not approved for primary or supplemental vaccine dose for the immunocompromised. People are eligible for the bivalent booster two months after their last COVID vaccine dose.

Regular COVID vaccinations continue to be available for adults as well as children as young as 6 months old.

COVID vaccinations are provided by appointment only at the Waimea hospital’s vaccination clinic from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every Wednesday. The clinic is located in the annex on the south side of hospital campus near the emergency room. Those younger than 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

To make an appointment, call 808-881-4668 or email QNHCHvaccine@queens.org.

Here are a few helpful reminders before going to your vaccination appointment:

• Arrive no earlier than 15 minutes prior to appointment.
• If you are receiving a booster, your previous vaccination card is required.
• Masks are required for adults and children older than 2.
• All children receiving vaccines must be accompanied by their parent or legal guardian.
• Children should be in comfortable, loose-fitting clothing; for children younger than 2, the vaccine is given in the upper thigh.
• All patients will be monitored for side effects for a minimum of 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine.