Open Thread: Vaccination Follies

Aging

I finally got my Coronavirus vaccination.

The card indicating that has a place of honor on the fridge, plus several pix in my phone.  And a Xerox copy in my files. And in my wallet.

Considering how much trouble I went through to get it, it’s worth making sure it’s not going astray. I spent hours on the phone and hours online.  Hunting for likely places that might have it.  Registering online and at different places all over the city  – until I finally got lucky.

At one point my wireless failed. I had to call place after place, getting put on hold (forever!), and then being disconnected.  It brought home to me how the search for a vaccine site is accentuating the digital divide.  It highlights that some seniors live in a digital desert. No tools, no connectivity – especially in rural areas – and no way to get a vaccine except maybe spend hours on the phone.

There’s help

It’s a sobering thought, but luckily there’s help.  OATS is launching Aging Connected to help one million older people get online; if you know anyone who needs connectivity, tell them about it and give them this number to call for more information:  1-877-745-1930

Meanwhile, what did you have to do to get the vaccine – if you got it at all?  Let us know in the comments…and take our poll!

Virge Randall is Senior Planet’s Managing Editor. She is also a freelance culture reporter who seeks out hidden gems and unsung (or undersung) treasures for Straus Newspapers; her blog “Don’t Get Me Started” puts a quirky new spin on Old School New York City. Send your suggestions for Open Threads to her at editor@seniorplanet.org.

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