Vaccines provided for deaf community
Most of those attending a COVID-19 booster and vaccination clinic Monday were members of the Maui Deaf Friends. MEO photos
Mark Gil Acosta, who is deaf, received his first COVID-19 vaccination shot Monday at the Health Department’s Wailuku Clinic.
Most of those attending a COVID-19 booster and vaccination clinic Monday were members of the Maui Deaf Friends. MEO photos
Mark Gil Acosta, who is deaf, received his first COVID-19 vaccination shot Monday at the Health Department’s Wailuku Clinic.
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The Maui News
Thirteen members of the Maui deaf community received their COVID-19 booster shot and two got their first vaccine shot Monday in an event coordinated by Maui Economic Opportunity's Maui Independent Living Center.
Most of those attending the event at the state Department of Health Maui District Health Office Wailuku Clinic were members of the Maui Deaf Club. One other deaf person could not get the booster because six months had not passed since vaccination, according to a MEO news release Wednesday.
Nani Watanabe, coordinator of the MEO Maui Independent Living Center, worked with the Health Department on scheduling and organizing the clinic. The Health Department provided sign language interpreters.
Earlier in the year, Watanabe organized vaccine clinics for the deaf community with the Health Department.
Maui Independent Living Center's mission is to ensure that persons with disabilities are full social, civic and economic partners, both within their families and in a fully accessible community, and to create access and choice, the news release said. There is no income criteria for services.
To contact Watanabe, call (808) 243-4328 or email evalina.watanabe@meoinc.org.