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As the coronavirus continues to spread, some of Hawaii’s first responders are beginning to have access to life-saving vaccines. Within the next months, the state will begin to provide vaccines to the rest of Hawaii’s residents.

The American Lung Association in Hawaii strongly encourages all Hawaii residents to speak with their health care providers about a plan for getting the vaccine when it becomes available.

In addition to mask-wearing and social distancing measures, widespread vaccination will help us achieve the herd immunity that is needed to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Widespread vaccination will save lives and protect those who are most vulnerable and disproportionately affected by the disease, particularly those in Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian populations, who have faced higher rates of infection and death from COVID-19.

While the virus does not discriminate, the pandemic has focused a spotlight on the health disparities affecting our most underserved populations. Reports and studies from across the nation show the coronavirus is disproportionately infecting and killing Black, Latino, Alaska Native and American Indian people, along with Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders.

According to the CDC, some risk factors may make an individual more susceptible to the most severe effects of the disease. Such factors include moderate to severe asthma, lung cancer and other co-morbidities.

Even more troubling is the fact that Hawaii has the highest rates of asthma mortality in the nation and some of the lowest survival rates for lung cancer. Given the poor outcome for these lung diseases, it’s extremely important that we do all we can to slow the spread of COVID-19 and champion widespread adoption of the vaccine.

As our tourism industry continues to reopen, we must be prepared to protect our local populations from severe illness. Part of that will include getting a majority of Hawaii’s population vaccinated when the vaccine becomes available.

In this first round, we are seeing health care providers prioritized, with the CDC recommending that the next round of vaccinations go to people age 75 and over and frontline essential workers.

To encourage public health measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and widespread adoption of an FDA-authorized vaccine, the American Lung Association launched the COVID-19 Action Initiative, a $25 million investment to end the pandemic and decrease health disparities in underserved communities.

Through the Action Initiative, we are advocating for equitable distribution of the vaccine and encouraging Americans to discuss getting vaccinated.

As Hawaii’s trusted champion of lung health, the American Lung Association offers numerous science- and fact-based to help protect the health of your family and our community. We have a vested interest in ending the devastation that COVID-19 is causing our ohana and our communities.