Some Seniors Finding Success At Last After Struggling To Get COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Seniors frustrated with finding a vaccine appointment are slowly, but surely finding success.
CBS 2 first told you about Edith Thomas on Wednesday. The 90-year-old woman was unable to make a vaccine appointment because she needed an eligibility code first. Her health care provider, Advocate Aurora Health uses text, email or telephone to communicate the code – but Thomas doesn't have a smartphone and is hard of hearing.
Thomas and her daughter were frustrated with that system, but Advocate Aurora Health came through after CBS 2 alerted a hospital spokesperson to the senior citizen's struggles. Thomas's daughter sent us a picture of her elderly mother happily receiving the shot on Thursday at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.
Patricia and Robert Gattuso also spoke to CBS 2 about their quest to find a vaccine appointment. They checked multiple sites online several times a day for weeks. Mr. Gattuso is 78 years old and uses an oxygen tank.
On Thursday, Mrs. Gattuso excitedly wrote us, "YIPPEE we did get a appointment for Bob for today." Her husband was vaccinated at Innovative Healthcare in Downers Grove.
It's proof that patience and persistence are key.
The Advocate Aurora Health system serves almost 600,000 patients that are 65 and up, according to its spokesperson.
In all, the Illinois Department of Public Health counts 3.2 million people in our state that are eligible for the current phase of vaccination.
We've put together several links to help you find the vaccine in our area:
Wal-Mart | Walgreens | CVS | Jewel-Osco | Meijer | Zocdoc
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