Many older Missourians face coronavirus vaccine access barriers

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Independent living facilities in the area have expressed concerns that health departments are not giving their residents a fair opportunity to receive the Covid-19 vaccine.

"We are having a hard time getting these vaccines because we are not an assisted living facility, these aren't long-term care facilities or nursing homes," said Mason Neff with The Village of Bedford Walk.

Neff said his community has several residents who don't drive because of vision or mobility issues and it would be hard for them to take advantage of drive-thru clinics, especially clinics outside of Boone County.

"In the middle of December we were in contact with the pharmacy that does our flu clinic every year to set up a vaccine clinic when the received supply," said Laura Reynolds with The Terrace Retirement Community.

Reynolds said the pharmacy has still not been supplied with doses and other pharmacies have told them they do not have the ability to do so.

Some residents have family members who are out of state and can't assist their loved ones.

Bedford Walk provides private transportation services for residents, but there would still be a challenge for residents who are not capable of waiting in line at mass vaccination sites.

The Terrace also provides these efforts but face the same challenges.

"We have walkers, we have bathroom issues, we have wheelchairs," said Reynolds. "How do you stand in line and wait for this."

Neff said he has made several attempts to contact the state, which refers him to the county, which tells him residents have to sign up using an online survey. Most health departments and health-care organizations that provide coronavirus vaccine shots are employing online forms.

Neff said it would be better for the residents at independent living facilities if in-house clinics were an option.

"Coming to the vaccine is obviously less ideal," said Margaret Day with MU Health Department's vaccine committee.

Day says they look for opportunities to become available in the future to be able to have in-house clinics when storage of the vaccine is able to expand.

She said they are also aware of mobility issues that people may have and at Faurot field they will provide parking close to the door and extra assistance for them to ensure they are able to receive the doses.

Signing up for these vaccine updates through the online survey is a challenge for many residents, especially those over 80, who aren't skilled with technology and don't have email accounts.

Reynolds said most of her people have landlines, no cellphones or emails.

Neff said in-house clinics would allow in-house nurses to work together with distributors to coordinate sign up times.

Reynolds agrees and says the pharmacies are the solution to making sure that this is possible for assisted living facilities.

MU Health Care says it is aware of the technology issue and has provided a hotline for people to call and be able to register over the phone at 573-771-2273.

Through this number, health care representatives will assist people in completing the forms needed and will contact them via phone number to set up their appointments as doses become available.

Day said she also knows there is a concern among the public about attended vaccine clinics after trying to make sure they are are not in contact with the virus.

She ensured that the facility is large and social distancing and mask wearing is a must.

Sara Humm with Columbia/Boone County Health Department said they have a staff member that is looking into these assisted living facilities to see how many they are looking at as far as in-house clinics would go.

Humm said that one of their biggest barriers for the health department in still the shortage of supply.

In the meantime they will be looking into transportation and mobility issues in people and how they can assist them in getting their vaccine when supply does become available.