PA Department of Aging can assist with appointments

The Pennsylvania Department of Aging continues to encourage older adults seeking a COVID-19 vaccine appointment to contact their local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for any assistance they may need in scheduling one.

The AAAs have been working with vaccine providers to arrange appointments for older adults eligible in Phase 1A of the commonwealth’s vaccine plan after the Department of Health issued an amended order in March.

“Even though the Department of Health recently ramped up its timetable for all Pennsylvanians 16 and older to receive vaccinations, we continue to focus on our mission to get older adults their vaccines with AAAs assisting seniors as much as possible with navigating the vaccination process,” said Secretary of Aging Robert Torres. “While we’ve seen real progress in getting older adults the vaccines they need, more older adults need assistance. Any senior who needs help should not hesitate to reach out to their local AAA.”

In addition to working with vaccine providers to schedule appointments for older adults, AAAs may be able to help with arranging transportation if that is needed. Shared ride programs are available in every county and fixed-route transportation systems statewide offer accessible transportation.

Older adults can use these services for assistance in getting to mass vaccination sites and any site where a vaccine is available to individuals, including pharmacies, hospitals and doctor’s offices. Free transportation to vaccinations may also be available for qualifying seniors.

The department is offering resources and guidance to help educate and protect older adults who are still looking to schedule their COVID-19 vaccine appointment. The following resources can be downloaded in English and Spanish from the Department of Aging’s website, www.aging.pa.gov:

Frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccines

Protecting older adults from COVID-19-related scams

Clearing up misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine

General information on COVID-19 for older adults

Here is the phone number list for the local AAAs:

Berks County: 610-4786500

Bucks County: 267-8805700

Chester County: 610-3446350

Delaware County: 610490-1300

Montgomery County: 610-278-3601

Philadelphia County: 215765-9000