Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 38, Number 10, 1 ʻOkakopa 2021 — Get Vaccinated [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Get Vaccinated

Here we are, almost two years since first hearing about a virus coming out of Asia. According to the Hawai'i State Department of Heahh, we have now suffered through more than 74,000 cases of the COVID19 virus and have lost over 711 residents. For two months, hundreds of new cases have been reported daily and about 23% of them are Native Hawaiian although Native Ha-

waiians only make up 21% of the state's population. Throughout history, our people have been decimated by foreign diseases. From the ravages of venereal disease spread by Captain Cook's crew to the 1853 smallpox epidemic that King Kamehameha III dealt with, Native Hawaiians have lost too many of our people. These diseases prompted Queen Emma to personally go door to door to raise funds to establish the Queen's Hospital in 1859. Then in 1881, Queen Regent Lili'uokalani instituted a travel ban and quarantine to combat an outbreak of smallpox in Hawai'i. Her efforts limited the outbreak to O'ahu with not a single case being reported on any other island. Our Ali'i believed in the science, trusted the medical field, and ordered vaccinations for their people. Here we are today, a century and a half later,

and we need to follow the example of our Ali'i - believe in the science, trust the medical field, and GET VACCINATED. Losing even one person to this pandemic is unacceptable when we know it ean be prevented. Sen. Kurt Fevella and Rep. Stacelynn Eli have been leading the effort to get COVID-l9 testing and vaccination events on the weekends in the heart of Native Hawaiian communities

in Nānākuli and Wai'anae. They have been partnering with Hawai'i Pacific Heahh, Papa Ola Lōkahi and eommunity nonprofits to provide not only COVID19 support services, but heahh screenings and eye exams at these sites as well. These safe spaces include entertainment, food, and heahh care professionals who are available to answer any questions community members may have. If we are going to continue to fight for our aina, our kūpuna, and our keiki, then we need to fight this disease. Knowing that our people only make up 21% of the state's population, how ean we continue to be okay with having our people be amongst the least vaccinated in the state? With the US eensus reporting more Native Hawaiians living on the continent, losing those still in Hawai'i to this pandemic needs to end. ■

Brendon Kalei'āina Lee Trustee, At-large

Wai'anae Coast's Sen. Kurt Fevella and Rep. Stacelynn Eli are partnering with Hawai'i Pacific Health, Papa Ola Lōkahi, and other community volunteers to offer C0VID-19 screening, vaccination, and other health services. - Photo: Courtesy