Back In My Day: Older adults are being left behind with vaccinations

The pandemic ushered in a sudden digital awakening for older adults, especially those who were forced to find new means of communicating with loved ones, or to even figure out how to get food on the table. However, while we can recognize that older adults are doing their best to learn more about technology, the lack of coherency on the state, local and federal levels paired with a lack of internet savviness has resulted in thousands of older adults simply clueless about how to sign up for vaccinations. 

“But Lois,” you, the inquisitive reader asks. “Didn’t you give this whole rant about how older adults are able to use and learn more about technology? Why don’t these people just figure out how to use the computers and the Internet?”

Simply said, you’re absolutely right. Older adults certainly have the capacity to learn more about the current innovations in the tech sphere, and they should continue to learn more about the technologies or tools that you or I may use on a daily basis. That being said, this could certainly evolve into a whole conversation about crystallized and fluid intelligence and their respective impacts across the lifespan, but I’ll do you all a solid and save that for another time. 

I’d like to reiterate that while older adults are more than capable of learning about new apps or interfaces, the time-sensitive nature of the pandemic situation and noninclusive nature of big tech has made it difficult. I’d like to say that older people have made that leap to learn more about technology, but sticking the landing or even just making it all the way across in the first place is where people are falling off.

This leap also entails a flurry of scams and misinformation that have been derailing the vaccination effort as it pertains to older adults. Older adults are going to be targeted once again (as they have been particularly during the holiday seasons and, frankly, year-round), as scammers and fraudsters play into the panic and ambiguous nature of vaccine distribution. 

According to the AARP, some of these fraudulent schemes include providing ‘early access’ for a vaccination with a deposit or requiring someone to be vaccinated. People who may not know any better may easily play into these scams and end up empty-handed.

These disparities go beyond simply an individual’s ability to surf the internet. 

We should also take a hard look at transportation logistics and accessibility to said technology in the first place. While cities like New York City have introduced programs to accommodate older adults without readily-available transportation for vaccines, these initiatives must be pushed out at national level, since drivers at rideshare services such as Uber or Lyft may not have the time or patience to wait hours on end. Even after they are dropped off at vaccination sites, many older adults are unable to stand, let alone wait in line for the vaccine. Additionally, they may have access to a desktop or computer at home, but not knowing how to restart a modem or router if the WiFi goes down or having insufficient internet in the first place can make this already stressful vaccine registration process seem impossible.

Even worse, many of the older adults who are neither located in assisted living communities or nursing homes nor have family to depend upon must contend on their own. Many isolated individuals already struggle with degrading mental health and the impending thoughts of an ever-shortening lifespan. 

We’re looking at vaccination scams, faulty websites, conflicting government initiatives and the inability to find transportation. Let’s not forget the handful of individuals having to do all of this on their own.

If we’re going to push the conversation to encourage anti-vaxxers to vaccinate, we should also ensure that older people — especially those who actually need the vaccine — are provided ample resources to attain an appointment. It is imperative that we introduce new and innovative communication protocols to get everyone on the same page. 

Lois Angelo is a sophomore writing about the intersections of gerontology and social issues. He is also co-chief copy editor of the Daily Trojan. His column, “Back In My Day,” usually runs every other Tuesday.