Posted Monday, April 19, 2021

Department of Aging Encourages Older Adults to Reach Out if COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Assistance is Needed

Department of Aging Encourages Older Adults to Reach Out if COVID-19 Vaccine Appointment Assistance is Needed, Provides Resources Regarding Vaccines

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Aging today continued to encourage older adults seeking a COVID-19 vaccine appointment to contact their local Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for any assistance they may need in scheduling an appointment. The AAAs have been working with vaccine providers to arrange appointments for older adults eligible in Phase 1A of the commonwealth’s vaccine plan after the Department of Health (DOH) issued an amended order in March.

“Even though the Department of Health recently ramped up its timetable for all Pennsylvanians 16 and older to receive vaccinations, we continue to focus on our mission to get older adults their vaccines with AAAs assisting seniors as much as possible with navigating the vaccination process. While we’ve seen real progress in getting older adults the vaccines they need, more older adults need assistance. Any senior who needs help should not hesitate to reach out to their local AAA,” said Secretary of Aging Robert Torres.

In addition to working with vaccine providers to schedule appointments for older adults, AAAs may be able to help with arranging transportation if that is needed. Shared ride programs are available in every county and fixed-route transportation systems statewide offer accessible transportation. Older adults can use these services for assistance in getting to mass vaccination sites and any site where a vaccine is available to individuals, including pharmacies, hospitals and doctor's offices. Free transportation to vaccinations may also be available for qualifying seniors.

The department is offering resources and guidance to help educate and protect older adults who are still looking to schedule their COVID-19 vaccine appointment. The following resources can be downloaded in English and Spanish from the Department of Aging’s website:

Frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 vaccines
Protecting older adults from COVID-19-related scams
Clearing up misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine
General information on COVID-19 for older adults

Here is the phone number list for the local AAAs by region:

Northeast

Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna/Tioga Counties: 570-265-6121
Carbon County: 1-800-441-1315
Lackawanna County: 570-963-6740
Luzerne/Wyoming Counties: 570-822-1158
Monroe County: 510-420-3735
Pike County: 570-775-5550
Schuylkill County: 510-622-3103
Wayne County: 570-253-4262

Southeast

Berks County: 610-478-6500
Bucks County: 267-880-5700
Chester County: 610-344-6350
Delaware County: 610-490-1300
Lehigh County: 610-782-3034
Montgomery County: 610-278-3601
Northampton County: 610-829-4540
Philadelphia County: 215-765-9000

North Central

Cameron/Elk/McKean Counties: 814-776-2191
Centre County: 814-355-6716
Clearfield County: 814-765-2696
Columbia/Montour Counties: 570-784-9272
Lycoming/Clinton Counties: 570-326-0587
Northumberland County: 510-495-2395
Potter County: 814-544-7315
Union/Snyder Counties: 570-524-2100

South Central

Adams County: 717-334-9296
Cumberland County: 717-240-6110
Dauphin County: 717-780-6130
Franklin County: 717-263-2153
Fulton County: 717-485-5151
Huntingdon County: 814-643-5115
Mifflin/Juniata Counties: 717-242-0315
Lancaster County: 717-299-7979
Lebanon County: 717-273-9262
Perry County: 717-582-5128
York County: 717-771-9610

Northwest

Butler County: 724-282-3008
Clarion County: 814-226-4640
Crawford County: 814-336-1792
Erie County: 814-459-4581
Jefferson County: 814-849-3096
Lawrence County: 724-658-3729
Mercer County: 724-662-6222
Warren/Forest Counties: 814-723-3763
Venango County: 814-432-9711

Southwest

Allegheny County: 412-350-4234
Armstrong County: 724-548-3290
Beaver County: 724-847-2262
Bedford County: 814-623-8148
Blair County: 814-946-1235
Cambria County: 814-539-5595
Fayette/Greene/Washington Counties: 724-489-8080
Indiana County: 724-349-4500
Somerset County: 814-443-2681
Westmoreland County: 724-830-4444

Learn more about the various programs offered by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging here.