NYC Seniors Are Still Struggling To Get Vaccinated Due To Digital Divide

Like most places around the country, senior citizens in New York City had early dibs on the COVID-19 vaccine. But nearly two months into the rollout, many people over the age of 65 are still struggling to book appointments online and by phone. Now, they're facing even more competition as the doses open up to other eligible groups.

On the Lower East Side, 73-year-old Maria Padilla told WNYC she initially called her doctor's office to get a vaccine, only to learn she couldn't get it there. Now, she's waiting for her daughter to find her an appointment. She said she's frustrated that the primary way to find a vaccine is by going online. 

"I really know that I need to take it," said Padilla, who has asthma and diabetes. "And it's just very stressful for me to punch in [keys] being that I have no knowledge of that."

Padilla has a smartphone. According to recent census data, a quarter of older adults in New York City don't have access to broadband internet, and one in five lack a computer. Dr. Ruth Finkelstein, the director of the Brookdale Center for Healthy Aging at Hunter College, said many of those people are also more likely to have low incomes and are less likely to speak English. 

"When you add all those things up, we're systematically disadvantaging people who already have a harder time accessing the vaccine," Finkelstein said.