Hawaii awarded $87.4M by FEMA to open vaccination sites

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded the state of Hawaii $87.4 million to open multiple, state-led community vaccination sites.

This reimbursement grant will be managed by Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, the Department of Health, and the Department of Budget and Finance.

These funds will cover expenses for medical and support staff, personal protective equipment, facility costs and supplies required to store, handle, transport and administer vaccines, and efforts to share public information regarding vaccinations.

The $87.4 million in approved funding represents half of Hawaii’s estimate of the cost of to administer the statewide vaccination program for the first 90 days.

With proper documentation, the grant will reimburse the state for eligible expenses to distribute and administer the COVID-19 vaccines.

The state is coordinating with the counties and various health care organizations to gather eligible vaccine expenditures to file for monthly reimbursements. Qualified health care organizations also have the option to apply for reimbursements directly with FEMA.

The Stafford Act Public Assistance program provides disaster assistance to states, tribes, local governments, and certain private nonprofit organizations following a presidential disaster declaration to quickly respond to and recover from major disasters or emergencies.