As Expanded Eligibility Looms, Philadelphia Races to Vaccinate More Than Half Its Senior Population

With Philadelphia about to expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to the entire adult population, many of the city's seniors remain unvaccinated, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer . Roughly 37 percent of Philadelphians 65 and older have been fully inoculated, according to the city's Department of Public Health. Forty-eight percent of Philadelphians 75 and older have received at least a first vaccine dose, indicating the city trails the rest of Pennsylvania, which has 47 percent fully vaccinated. James Garrow with the city's Department of Public Health said the city is asking all vaccine providers to prioritize people 65 and older, even after eligibility is extended. A scarcity of easily accessible sites and Internet access has made it difficult for some seniors to book vaccine appointments. Many also are homeowners and may lack access to resources and support networks available in senior housing, assisted living communities, or apartment communities. Low income levels are another factor, while city officials admitted that seniors living alone complicated immunization efforts. White Philadelphians 65 and older represent nearly 57 percent of fully vaccinated people in that age group, yet less than a third of the city's Black population have been fully vaccinated despite constituting almost 42 percent of Philadelphia's senior populace.