Pennsylvania Moves to Speed Coronavirus Vaccinations for Older Adults

The state of Pennsylvania has ordered vaccine providers to cooperate with agencies that serve older adults to clear a backlog of people 65 and older who have spent months waiting for COVID-19 shots, reports NBC Philadelphia 10 . Despite ramped-up distribution, only 35 percent of older Pennsylvanians had been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus as of press time, and hundreds of thousands of older adults still need to be inoculated before the state intends to open up eligibility. Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam directed vaccine providers to collaborate with area agencies on aging, along with Medicaid managed care organizations, to book appointments for people who want but have been unable to get vaccines. Moreover, providers may not refuse to schedule an appointment for someone who is currently eligible for vaccination, and they cannot advertise that no appointments are available. Providers under Pennsylvania jurisdiction are supposed to book all currently eligible people who request a vaccine — including younger people with high-risk medical ailments — by March 31. Beam said the state wants to complete inoculations for the most vulnerable residents "in short order so that we can continue on the path of making vaccine available for all Pennsylvanians." Pennsylvania Association of Area Agencies on Aging President Holly Kyle said the state's bewildering, scattershot vaccination registration system has frustrated many seniors. She thinks Beam's order could especially help seniors in rural areas.