Traveling to Hawaii? What you need to know about recent health warnings
As Bay Area families prepare for summer trips to Hawaii with the school year coming to a close, health officials on the islands are urging visitors and residents to remain vigilant against several contagious diseases.
On Monday, the Hawaii Department of Health confirmed a travel-related case of Zika virus on Oahu — the first in over five years — prompting renewed warnings about the mosquito-borne illness.
The infected individual had visited the North Shore beach towns of Waialua and Haleiwa, popular for their quieter beaches and hiking trails.
While the virus was not contracted locally, officials said, 'Travelers should take precautions to avoid mosquito bites during their trips, and for three weeks after returning.'
Zika virus poses particular risks to pregnant travelers because of potential birth defects. To reduce risk, the department recommends using EPA-approved insect repellents, wearing long sleeves and pants during daylight hours when mosquitoes are active, and staying in screened or air-conditioned accommodations.
The Department of Health reported 108 cases so far this year, surpassing the 84 recorded in all of 2024, and said recent infections 'have increased at a worrying rate.'
'Pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory disease spread through the air via the coughs or sneezes of an infected person,' the department said.
Officials emphasize the importance of up-to-date vaccinations, noting that Hawaii's vaccination rates have declined since 2019.
Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are on the rise on the islands as summer travel picks up. More than 200 new cases were confirmed last week, though officials believe many go unreported.
The rapid spread of a highly contagious new omicron variant, NB.1.8.1, detected in Hawaii and six other states, has raised concerns, even though experts say it is unlikely to cause more severe illness.
On Monday, Governor Josh Green criticized U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s recent announcement that healthy children and pregnant women would no longer be routinely recommended for COVID-19 vaccination under the Trump administration.
'By removing the capacity to vaccinate people under age 65 for the most part, you're going to see more spread,' said Green, a physician, calling the policy a 'big mistake.'
'You want to make it easier for people to choose. I'm not mandating anything. Choose what vaccinations you want. So, I'm gonna have to fight that,' Green added.
He also warned, 'these guys are going to kill Americans by making it harder to get vaccinated. And then there's going to be a lot of hell to pay, because innocent people who can't get the vaccine if they want it, I think they're going to have the right to sue the federal government, in my opinion.'
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