When Ron Henderson, 77, discovered he was eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine, he had a difficult time making an appointment.
He tried to find one online. He called his doctor’s office, but a voice message indicated that vaccines were not available.
Then he got a call.
A friend had passed his name on to someone at Roper St. Francis. The hospital system was preparing for a mass vaccination event in North Charleston. Henderson, who works in real estate and lives in Goose Creek, was able to schedule one of the first appointments.
“It was just a matter of luck for me that a friend of the family could pass on my name,” he said. “Actually, I was lucky … I was a guinea pig, one of the first records.”
More than 500 Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines were to be distributed for scheduled appointments at a Roper St. Francis Healthcare drive-thru in the North Charleston Coliseum parking lot on January 20, 2021. Still, the demand for vaccines remains far greater than the ofert. Andrew J. Whitaker / Staff
Other seniors in South Carolina did not find the process so easy to navigate. Since the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control announced on January 11 that it was opening the vaccine to anyone aged 70 and over, many seniors across the state have faced significant obstacles to actually getting one, including clogged phone lines. and back orders.
But the crux of the problem is this: there just aren’t enough vaccines yet to satisfy the demand, forcing some people to wait weeks or months for the first dose, even though they are already qualified to receive it.
“I see everything on Facebook. People can’t make an appointment to get the vaccine. Many of these people are my friends,” said Henderson.
In addition to the confusing distribution and failure of the vaccine, some elderly people have difficulty navigating the technology needed to schedule an appointment.
Elizabeth Bernat is director of the Waring Senior Center in West Ashley and the Lowcountry Senior Center on James Island. She said that some of her customers suffer from hearing loss and visual impairment, which makes it difficult to read texts on the small screens of smartphones. And while the pandemic has forced many seniors to become more tech savvy than ever, others may not have a computer or Internet access.
Elderly center staff often help their clients deal with these technology issues, but are not allowed to enroll them for vaccine appointments, said Bernat.
“We don’t have that ability,” she said.
Alternatively, his team compiled a one-page PDF document with phone numbers and locations where the elderly can get a vaccine.
Other groups are also trying to make the process easier. In Florida, the media reported that Publix will now allow one person to book vaccine markings for up to four people to accommodate seniors who have had problems with the process.
And locally, the Fetter Health Care Network, which operates clinics in Lowcountry and serves many low-income patients, has organized a series of vaccination events in churches in the area that do not require the elderly to make an appointment. Vaccines are offered on a first-come, first-served basis for anyone aged 70 and over. Identification or proof of age may be required.
Henderson is scheduled to receive the second dose of the vaccine through Roper St. Francis this month, although many of his friends continue to struggle to make the first appointment.
“Now we are sitting with the concern that the second (dose) is available to us,” he said. “I have an appointment for February 10 and I hope to be able to serve you. But at least I have an appointment.”
Of course, none of these problems are unique to the elderly in South Carolina. Henderson’s brother in Florida recently called the state health department 1,200 times in two days to make an appointment for a vaccine.
On January 27, he still couldn’t find one.
Reach Lauren Sausser at 843-937-5598.