HONOLULU, Hawaii -- The Hawaii National Guard Joint Task Force (HING JTF) has injected more than 65,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine into Hawaii residents ages 12 and older.

At the request of the State Department of Health, the National Guard began supporting first- and second-dose COVID-19 vaccinations in communities across Hawaii in January. It recently added booster shots.

“I’m proud that the Hawaii National Guard Joint Task Force was able to assist the State Department of Health and the counties in achieving 71% of the Hawaii population vaccinated,” said Brig. Gen. Moses Kaoiwi Jr., the Hawaii National Guard Joint Task Force commander. “All Hawaii National Guard medical personnel across the state worked diligently to provide the assistance where it was needed. The low positivity rate indicates that our work has made a difference.”

Public vaccinations administered by the HING JTF were highest in Hawaii County at 43,367, followed by Maui County with 11,658, the City & County of Honolulu with 5,648, and Kauai County with 4,418 vaccinations. Military-trained medical professionals administered 65,091 vaccines to the public at multiple health centers, hotels, convention halls and pop-up clinics statewide as of Oct. 25.

Since April 2020, the Hawaii National Guard has served communities at the request of the governor, the Department of Health, the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, and various state and local agencies to keep communities safe and stop the spread of COVID-19.

More than 625 Soldiers and Airmen from the HING JTF are assisting Hawaii with its COVID-19 response, administering vaccinations and rapid swab tests. They are also checking the temperatures of passengers at major airports, mapping COVID-19, distributing personal protective equipment and conducting public health outreach for at-risk communities.