Epidemics in Hawaiian Electric history
Estee Manfredi | July 14, 2020
Hawaii is no stranger to epidemics.
When early European explorers arrived in the islands, they brought new things with them. Unfortunately, they also introduced new diseases to the isolated native population. By the early 1800, an epidemic thought to be yellow fever resulted in 175,000 deaths, cutting the islands’ pre-contact population in half.
Since then, visitors have introduced measles, influenza, colds, viruses and other threatening diseases.
Most of us don’t remember, but the last major pandemic to hit Hawaii was just about a century ago. Between 1918 and 1920, over 2,330 people in Hawaii died from influenza or the Spanish Flu. Even today, the flu remains a challenge for kamaaina. In 2017, more people died of flu/pneumonia in Hawaii than in any other state despite the availability of vaccines. It’s one of the reasons Hawaiian Electric offers on-site flu vaccines to employees each year.
Our company has a history of protecting its work force from infectious disease.
In the 1950s, once an effective treatment for tuberculosis was developed, employees were offered free chest X-rays in the state Department of Health’s mobile unit. The unit visited different base yards to screen employees, which was important because it helped with early diagnosis and treatment.
According to the DOH, Hawaii still has one of the highest annual tuberculosis case rates in the country. In 2018 there were still 120 reported cases. But chest X-rays are now used only to confirm positive results, while skin and blood tests are most commonly used for diagnosis.
During the hepatitis A outbreak in Hawaii in 2016, with a majority of the nearly 300 cases on Oahu, our company offered onsite vaccination clinics for employees. Once the source of the outbreak was identified — imported raw scallops served at a sushi chain on Oahu and Kauai — the number of cases dropped to 12 by the following year, and to just four in 2018.
With COVID-19, there is no vaccine or specific antiviral treatment recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet. So to best protect its employees, the company has made a lot of changes. From staggered shifts, stringent disinfection processes, and travel restrictions, to work-from-home agreements, strict social distancing and mask requirements, to illness-reporting and return-to-work guidelines. It’s our company’s responsibility to protect its employees. We need to stay safe and healthy so we can continue to keep the lights on and provide the best service possible for our customers.
Estee Manfredi is a corporate librarian at Hawaiian Electric Company.
