Weinroth calls for improvements to vaccine appointment process

Posted 2/10/21

Palm Beach County Vice Mayor Robert Weinroth wants state health officials to find a better way of helping seniors...

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Weinroth calls for improvements to vaccine appointment process

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PALM BEACH COUNTY — Palm Beach County Vice Mayor Robert Weinroth wants state health officials to find a better way of helping seniors who are not computer savvy book COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

Weinroth noted that many elderly residents have gotten frustrated and even confused trying to access the online appointment portals hosted by Publix, the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) and the Health Care District of Palm Beach County.

“We have a population that is not comfortable on the computer, doesn’t have computer or they get on a computer and are very quickly frustrated by the timeouts that occur,” he told Dr. Alina Alonso, director of the FDOH-Palm Beach County.

“I am pleading with you to establish a system, so we can embrace these residents who are feeling left out.”

The state has encouraged seniors to ask a relative, neighbor or friend to help them book appointments on the computer. Seniors can also avoid a computer by calling the FDOH at 1-866-201-6754 to register for an appointment.

But Alonso said it could be six to eight weeks before they receive a call to schedule an appointment.

“We need to do better,” Weinroth said. “We need to give them an opportunity to get through. Pease look at that.”

Weinroth applauded the overall vaccination efforts in Palm Beach County, where 190,770 residents have gotten shots. That’s 13% of the county’s population, a higher percentage than Florida (9%), Miami-Dade County (7%) and Broward County (8%).

vaccine, vaccination, covid, covid-19, coronavirus, appointment, PBC, palm beach

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