A big hurdle for older Americans trying to get vaccinated: Using the internet

The US is racing to vaccinate millions of people for Covid-19, but online appointment registration systems are slowing down or preventing access to vaccinations for some of the people most vulnerable to the virus: older Americans. Nearly 30 percent of people in the US over the age of 65 do not use the internet, and more than 40 percent did not have broadband access at home. For older adults, broadband internet access isn’t the only hurdle, explains Becky Preve, who directs New York’s Association on Aging. Some are also struggling because they don’t feel comfortable putting personal health information into internet computer systems. At the same time, some older New Yorkers don’t have an email address or a printer, which can slow them down when trying to access vaccine appointment documents. For people without computers, some local health authorities are offering phone hotlines to schedule vaccine appointments. But these hotlines can be low on staff. A vaccine-seeker can sometimes spend hours on the phone — or they’ll have to wait days to get a call back to schedule an appointment.