Older Minnesotans with new COVID vaccine appointments get vaccinated, but others remain frustrated

Vaccinations for people 65 and older have started at nine sites across Minnesota and continue through Saturday. The state’s pilot program, new this week, was quickly overtaken and officials say they are working on some issues ahead of another scheduled registration on Tuesday.

In a conference room in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on day one, the queue extended into the parking lot, but moved quickly. Once inside, the excitement continued to build.

“You bet your booties are a big day,” said Sue Murr, 69, of South St. Paul, Minnesota, before receiving her first dose of the vaccine Thursday. After his shot, Murr made his way to a large makeshift waiting room where around 30 other people were monitored for any reaction to the vaccine.

“I have a father in a retirement home and I am an essential caregiver. It was therefore essential to enter. And besides, I want to live a little longer and I didn’t want to fight COVID. So I’m very grateful, ”said Murr.

Murr’s daughter logged in on Tuesday to make an appointment. She was one of the lucky ones, as the online and phone systems were overwhelmed. There were about 6,000 slots this time around, and about a million people in Minnesota qualified for them. Hundreds of thousands have tried to enter.

Calling herself a “dinosaur” at technology, Murr said the system is not ideal for the elderly.

“In my generation there are a lot of people who are very proficient with technology and then there are those of us who are not,” she said.

This worries Will Phillips, Minnesota State Director of AARP. He heard that some were unable to update their computers or phones multiple times in a row, and others had difficulty finding the correct phone number.

Seniors in Minnesota “may not have high-speed Internet access just because of where they live,” Phillips said. “Others may not be online for various reasons or work in the middle of the day.”

Phillips said older people can be so isolated that they don’t fully know about this opportunity.

The registration system for people 65 and over is still evolving, officials say. Minnesota’s health and IT departments hope to make the system work better. Phillips said the more options and information there are for making appointments, the better.

“There is a huge need to make sure that we are doing all we can and that states are really deliberate in reaching these populations,” he said.

Kathleen Jordan, from Excelsior, Minnesota, showed up at the Brooklyn Center for what she thought was her date at 1:15 p.m. She had gone online and believed the system had assigned her a time.

“It was as if the page had frozen. And I assumed that was all I had to do. But obviously I had to do more, ”she said.

Jordan left without a vaccine.

While these bigger issues exist, the process of getting vaccinations on day one seems to go very well. The line at the gate moved quickly and those who got their photos seemed overall happy.

Ron Tupy, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, said he made an appointment online without a long wait. The 65-year-old suffers from asthma and said he has been very careful throughout the pandemic. He was delighted to reach this point.

“The first day I think they did a really good job.” Tupy said.

Officials say people 65 and over may try to get dates again on Tuesday. Officials hope to make improvements soon.

“In the next few days we will have more information on how Minnesotans can sign up for a date during the second week of the pilot program,” said Devin Henry, spokesperson for the COVID response. -19 state.

There is another option for vaccines for those 65 and over. Some health care providers have also started contacting patients in this category to schedule vaccines.