A Guide to Helping Baby Boomers Sign Up for the COVID Vaccine

People over the age of 65 can now receive the COVID vaccine in many states, but navigating the sites to register for a vaccination appointment can be difficult for those less tech savvy.

At least 10.6 million people in the United States have received a dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Both require a second dose three to four weeks after the initial dose. According to CDC guidelines, healthcare workers and residents of nursing homes are among the primary beneficiaries.

From there, vaccine distribution varies from state to state, but CDC guidelines recommend immunizing essential frontline workers such as first responders, teachers, grocery store workers, and wardens. prison, as well as adults over 75 years old. The CDC then recommends vaccinating adults 65 years of age. and 74 and anyone with pre-existing conditions thereafter, before finally distributing the vaccine to the general population.

Because vaccine distribution varies from state to state, stay informed who can get vaccinated, let alone How? ‘Or’ What, can be confusing. This can be especially difficult for those who are not as proficient online or digitally, as almost every state’s vaccine registration process is online.

If there’s someone in your life who may soon qualify for the vaccine but doesn’t know how to get it, here’s a guide to give them a hand.

Stay up to date on vaccine deployment in your state

If you’re helping someone sign up for a vaccine appointment, knowing when and if they’re eligible is a start.

Each state distributes the vaccine differently, but they are generally aligned with the CDC’s deployment guidelines. You can check your status in the distribution process through the CDC site. Select your state from the drop-down menu and the CDC site will redirect you to your local health department’s vaccine distribution plan.

WebMD also has a list of state vaccine information sites.

Register preventively for SMS or telephone alerts

Some local health departments are implementing text alerts to notify residents if they are eligible to receive the vaccine. San Francisco residents, for example, can sign up for notifications from January 19, 2021. The state of Tennessee has a similar system for its residents. These tools can be extremely useful for those who have cell phones but are not as integrated into social media.

Check if your local health department has implemented or is considering implementing a similar tool. You will likely need to enter your date of birth, area of ​​work, and any underlying health conditions that might qualify you for a previous vaccine. You can also register on behalf of someone else and receive notifications when they are eligible to receive the vaccine.

Avoid vaccine scams

With growing demand for the vaccine and limited distribution, crooks are already trying to take advantage of people’s desperation.

Shortly after the UK started distributing vaccines earlier in January, residents started receiving text messages claiming to be the National Health Service. The scam text informed the recipient that they were ‘apple eligible for the vaccine’ and included a link to a site with the NHS logo, which tricked them into entering their banking information to ‘prove ownership of the address “.

Similar scam attempts have also taken place in the United States. In Florida, a widely circulated Eventbrite link advertised appointments for vaccines that were not sanctioned by the state’s health department. The link has since been removed, but the event ‘sold’ out dates between Jan. 14 and Jan. 25 before officials intervened.

Don’t fall for scams like these, and don’t let the baby boomers in your life go down, either. Unless you’ve previously intentionally signed up for SMS alerts about the vaccine, you likely won’t receive unsolicited invitations to request it. Legitimate COVID vaccination centers will also never ask you for personal information such as your address or bank account information. The personal information that you may should share what concerns vaccine eligibility, such as age, area of ​​work, and any underlying health issues.

It is worth reminding your loved ones that they can not pay to be vaccinated early, nor to “pre-register” the vaccine.

The Federal Trade Commission has released a useful infographic to raise awareness of vaccine scams.

Sign up for second dose reminders

Remember that Pfizer and Modern vaccines require two doses, about three to four weeks apart. Fortunately, the CDC has developed an alert system to remind people to receive their second dose.

Thanks to VaxText, those who have already received their first dose can send a SUBSCRIBE SMS to 1-833-VaxText (1-833-829-8398), where they can choose to receive weekly reminders for their second dose in English or Spanish. They will be asked to respond, indicating the date they received the first dose and whether they received the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine. Depending on the vaccine they received, they will be reminded to receive the second after 21 or 28 days.

The VaxText system do not request personally identifiable information such as address, social security number or age. If you or someone close to you receives unsolicited text messages asking for this information, it is probably a scam.

As the vaccine rollout finally begins to accelerate, we can hope to return to normal life in the near future. It might just take a crash course in digital literacy, first.