Americans over 65 are eligible for COVID-19 vaccines in several states, but trying to get them has become a nightmare for many. Some older citizens have had to travel hundreds of miles to get their photos, and others say that even getting an appointment is a challenge.
According to The Wall Street Journal, people in Texas are subscribing to various lists in supermarkets and clinics in hopes of getting a spot. In Nevada, online registration attracts candidates from county sites to state sites and vice versa.
“I can figure out how to teach calculus,” said Lisa Crosby, from Reno, Nevada. “But I can’t figure out how to vaccinate my parents.” Only about 40% of the vaccines that were distributed in the United States were administered, and although 30 states now allow those over 65 to join the vaccine eligibility list with health professionals and first responders, the process has left many frustrated.
In Illinois, Bryan Harvey, 67, who is in a wheelchair, was unlucky to find an appointment online in his county. Finally, his son intervened and worked day and night trying to secure a vaccine for his father, finally getting a spot after hitting the update button repeatedly, according to the Journal.
Brain Ortiz, 65, has logged in every night at midnight trying to get his COVID-19 vaccine. So far, the retired high school counselor who lives in Oceanside, New York, has only been able to find available hours outside the home.
According to Kaiser Health News, people who do not understand computers or may not even have access to computers or smartphones and those who do not have transport face an uphill battle to be vaccinated.
As states in the United States distribute the COVID-19 vaccine to people 65 and older, the elderly are struggling to figure out how to apply for vaccines, according to reports. Most counties require individuals to apply for vaccines online, but many elderly people find the procedures complicated to torment, and others do not have access to the Internet, especially people of color and the poor.
Dr. Anand Iyer, a pulmonologist from Alabama, runs a clinic for more than 200 destitute adults and says that 70% of them are black and many are older.
“I would estimate that 10% to 20% are at risk of losing vaccines because they are stuck at home, live alone, do not have transport or do not have reliable social connections,” he said, according to KHN. “Unfortunately, these are the same factors that put you at risk of poor results with COVID-19.”
Language issues are also an obstacle, says Yanira Cruz, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Council on Aging. “I am very concerned that older adults who are not fluent in English, who do not have a family member to help them navigate online and who do not have access to private transportation will be left out during the current implementation,” she said .
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