Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Scheduling vaccinations a challenge for many
Scheduling vaccine appointment not easy without internet access
Judy Moyer has been trying to schedule a coronavirus vaccine appointment since last week.
Like many others, the Hamburg resident has so far been unsuccessful.
What has made the process more complicated and frustrating is that Moyer isn’t trying to schedule her own appointment.
She’s trying to get one for her 80-year-old friend who is now in Phase 1A of the state’s phased vaccination plan.
A limited vaccine supply is making it challenging for anyone to get an appointment.
And it’s even more of a challenge for Moyer and her friend because of the reliance on technology to find vaccine providers and schedule appointments.
“She’s never had a cellphone,” Moyer said of her friend. “She’s never had a computer. Nothing like that. She’s trying to get her COVID vaccine and you can’t without a computer.”
For Moyer and many others, it seems like being online is a prerequisite to getting a vaccination.
‘This is crazy’
The pair has reached out to multiple vaccine providers since last week and they continue to receive responses that appointments can only be made online or appointments are not yet available.
Even if they were able to make appointments over the phone, the provider informs them that they have no doses available.
“We call and they say, ‘Well we can’t help you because you’ve got to go through the computer, you have to go online,’ “said Moyer’s friend, who asked not to be identified. “I just don’t think this is right. There are a lot of people out there that don’t have computers.”
Moyer, feeling frustrated and knowing her friend could not be the only person 65 and older who may not have access to a computer or the internet, reached out to the governor’s office to see if they were aware of this challenge.
“I thought, this is crazy,” Moyer said. “It’s almost impossible for an elderly person without a computer to get a shot.”
The governor’s office directed her to the state Department of Health. When she called there she was number 78 in line. While on hold, a message played informing those who were calling about people age 65 and older and the vaccine to contact the local office on aging.
Moyer called the Berks County Office on Aging and was given a phone number for one of the local health systems but was told they were not taking outside appointments at this time.
The friend didn’t want to say whether she was in a local health system.
Penn State Health, including St. Joseph in Bern Township, and Tower Health, including Reading Hospital, are reaching out to their patients who best fit the expanded Phase 1A to set up vaccine appointments.
“I just don’t know what to do next,” Moyer said. “I’ve tried everything. And I’m sure she’s not the only one, but she might be the only one lucky enough to have me.”
Moyer’s friend has been thankful for the help even if they so far have been unsuccessful.
“She’s been good to me,” she said. “She does a lot for me, and I appreciate it. She said, ‘You’ve got to get this done.’ “
‘Up against a wall’
Moyer’s friend does not have internet at her home, so Moyer cannot just take her computer over to her friend’s house to fill in the necessary information to schedule an appointment online.
Even if Moyer has the information, many sites require an account that often times uses an email address, something Moyer’s friend does not have. Moyer would use her own email, but worries it could possibly cause problems when she later tries to schedule her own appointment.
“They want to give people shots who are over 65, and if you’re in a nursing home it’s fine, but if you’re not, they’re up against a wall,” Moyer said. “I just don’t know where to go from here.”
When asked about the challenges facing people like Moyer’s friend, the state Department of Health said it continues to offer support through the PA Health Hotline
1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877724-3258).
“We continue to build supports for those who cannot access the internet or have the resources to do so online,” said Maggi Barton, deputy press secretary.
“The hotline is staffed by public health professionals to assist the individuals directly to find a provider nearest them and assist with the efforts to be scheduled.”
Barton added that the department has been working to educate residents about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine by working with news media, and through community and local groups who work directly with people the department is trying to reach.
“We know that there is a significant interest among all Pennsylvanians about when they will get vaccinated,” Barton said. “The Pennsylvania Department of Health is working to ensure that everyone who wants a COVID-19 vaccine can get it.
“We must have patience as the amount of vaccine available to Pennsylvanians is extremely limited.”
Moyer’s friend said she is not the only person in her age group or otherwise who is finding it challenging to schedule a vaccine appointment. She mentioned health care workers who have still not been able to receive the vaccine even though they were in the initial Phase 1A.
“But it’s hard,” she said of the process. “It’s just one of those things. You try and all they can tell you is to go on the computer, but then it doesn’t pay to go on the computer since they’re already out (of their vaccine supply).”
Moyer is hoping their experience with this process will let others know they are not alone and help shine a light on this problem so it can be fixed.
“She is not the only person that doesn’t have a computer,” Moyer said. “Most of the elderly population is like that. I’m just trying to help her, and I just want to help all the older people (going through this).”