Originally Posted by
MCO Flyer
What is the states current plan to verify out of state vaccines? I’d assume they won’t be able to pre-approve them in Safe Travels like they can Hawaii vaccines as they can’t access other state vaccination records so I assume anyone who uses a out of state vaccine for an exemption will have to have their cards manually reviewed upon arrival causing long lines.
California, Hawaii's largest tourist market, has a statewide database of vaccinated folks. New York state also has the same. Other states have "banned" statewide passport databases.
Hawaii will likely pick the low hanging fruit - (California, New York, + other states which will compile an automated database of vaccinated persons), and offer quarantine exemptions to those travelers who have been vaccinated in those states. The electronic vaccination record would be uploaded to the Hawaii Safe Travels website, just like a negative COVID test is now. Easy.
Travelers in states without a database will likely have to continue to be COVID tested within 72 hours of departure. I cannot envision Hawaii investing public funds to hire a bunch of manual vaccination card reviewers and setting up such a labor intensive system when the COVID test system is in place and will work for those travelers vaccinated in states not creating automated vaccine verification records.