Maui, Hawaii, Changes Definition of ‘Fully Vaccinated’ To Include Covid-19 Boosters

Can you be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 when you board an airplane but no longer so when you disembark? The answer is yes and it doesn’t involve the Quantum Realm or a time machine made out of a DeLorean. The County of Maui, Hawaii, has now “boosted” its definition of “fully vaccinated,” so that it’s different from the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) definition. So if you are flying to Maui from elsewhere in the U.S. you could go from being considered fully vaccinated to not yet fully vaccinated, depending on whether you’ve gotten the Covid-19 booster.

The Maui change was set in motion on December 30, 2021, when the County of Maui’s Mayor Michael Victorino signed a revised set of Public Health Emergency Rules. Ever since the Covid-19 vaccines first became available, the CDC has defined “fully vaccinated” as having received the “primary series of Covid-19 vaccines,” which is either the first two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna Covid-19 vaccine or the first dose of the Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine. But with the revised set of rules, the County of Maui is now saying that the primary series alone is no longer enough. You’ve had to have received a Covid-19 booster as well to earn the “fully vaccinated” designation.

Originally, this change was supposed to go into effect on January 8, 2022, which incidentally was National Bubble Bath Day. However, the County realized that nine days (or 0.818 of a Scaramucci) was probably not enough time to allow enough folks to get their boosters. Therefore, as the following KHON2 News report showed, the County of Maui delayed implementation of the new definition until January 24, which happened to be National Beer Can Appreciation Day:

Why did Maui change the definition? Well, there’s the current “it wanes, it pours” concern. Studies have suggested that the protection offered by the primary series of Covid-19 vaccination wanes over time. And the primary series by itself seems to have decreased effectiveness against the Omicron variant, the version of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that’s now “pouring” itself all over the U.S. Getting the booster could help overcome these two concerns. “Science says that after the second shot of Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations or the single Johnson and Johnson shot vaccinations weaken after about six months,” said Victorino in a statement. “This rule change recognizes that and requires that businesses ensure that patrons are fully vaccinated or have proof of a negative Covid test within 48 hours.”

So, say you want to travel to Maui so that you can taunt your friends back in the Northeast United States with photos of sunny vistas and frolicking sea creatures. Well, make sure that you have gotten your primary series and booster first before boarding a flight to the islands of Hawaii. That can make a big difference when you’re wandering around town searching for fish tacos. As Victorino indicated, “patrons who seek service indoors need to show proof that they’ve received a booster shot as soon as they are eligible, which means after six months have passed since the last dose or Pfizer or Moderna, or two months after Johnson and Johnson.” In Maui, not being boosted can mean the difference between a fish taco and a fish tac-no.

These new Public Health Emergency Rules leave the County of Maui with a different definition of “fully vaccinated against Covid-19” than the rest of the U.S. The question is when will other counties follow suit? With waning immunity and the Omicron variant, could calling someone “fully vaccinated” when he or she hasn’t gotten the booster yet be a bit like calling someone fully clothed when he or she is not wearing any pants? You don’t want to give everyone the impression that everyone is well protected against Covid-19 when that may not necessarily be the case just like you don’t want to give everyone the impression that everyone in your restaurant will be “fully clothed” as opposed to having some article of clothing on them. The purpose of the term “fully vaccinated” is give the general public, businesses, and other organizations a clear standard upon which to base their rules and Covid-19 precautions.

That’s why some scientists and public health experts have asked the CDC to update its definition of “fully vaccinated.” However, rather than update it, the CDC has introduced a new term “up to date,” which sounds like what you do to your operating system, your antivirus software, or your Facebook profile when you get ghosted by your significant other. When it comes to Covid-19 vaccination, being “up to date” means that you have “have received all recommended Covid-19 vaccines, including any booster dose(s) when eligible.” However, it’s not clear how many businesses and organizations across the U.S. are up-to-date on using this “up to date” designation for their vaccination requirements.

In the meantime, stay up-to-date on how “fully vaccinated” is currently being defined where you live and wherever you intend to travel. As the County of Maui has shown, this could differ by location and change in the coming days, weeks, or months. After all, if you are flying to Maui just to temperature taunt your friends, you want to make sure that you do it right.