After helping their own grandparents get the vaccine in Louisville, the couple knew there were other seniors in their community who would benefit from a helping hand.
Older people struggle
Many of the 50 million elderly people over the age of 65 are struggling to cope with the distribution plans for vaccines, which can vary from state to state and in some cases from country to country.
“I would estimate that between 10% and 20% miss the vaccines because they are at home, living alone, not having transport or not having social relationships,” said Dr. Anand Iyer, a pulmonologist in Alabama who specializes in nursing. said for older adults. “Unfortunately, these are the same factors that put them at risk for poor results from Covid.”
“I think the most important part of this is that they (seniors) know that we are there every step of the way,” Beck said. “Everyone has been so lonely, locked up for almost ten months, so it’s a relief for them to be able to get the vaccine because they’re so scared.”
Technical support for Covid-19 vaccines
The couple said they completed the entire sign-up process for their own grandparents because they were having problems through verification processes and verification steps, “and when we started helping their friends, we realized it was a more common problem than we expected. Teague said.
Two weeks ago, the duo created a template, set up a private Facebook page and a phone line for seniors across Kentucky to call if they need help planning their vaccine, called VaxConnectKY.
Shortly after the template was made, Teague and Beck’s elementary and high school finally posted the flyer on their respective Facebook pages and started pouring in calls. The two say they will not stop until the requests come to a halt.
The cousins do not take anyone’s sensitive information themselves; they guide people only through the technical steps.
Elderly people without internet access are a major concern for the couple.
“We’re giving them a phone number to go on a waiting list for hospitals,” Teague said. “We feel they appreciate the point of contact or touch.”
Kate Eller, systems director of communications and public relations at Norton Healthcare, praised the cousins for their effort.
“We appreciate these young women for seeing a need and helping to provide an essential and cordial service,” she told CNN in a statement. ‘Their idea of helping seniors in our community register for their COVID-19 vaccinations is an excellent example of true servant leadership.
“Technology can be challenging, and we have encouraged seniors, if possible, to seek help from friends or family.”
Because the cousins are engaged in hybrid learning, their alternate school schedules allow them to work 24 hours a day on VaxConnectKY. When one is at school, the other staffs the calls and emails.
On days when they are both busy, Beck said they help people during their lunch and back hour with the help of their siblings who also trained them to step in when needed.
“We called people who called us about how grateful they were that we were helping them get it and now they can finally get it,” Beck said. “It’s a good feeling for us to know that we are helping without contributing to Kentucky’s numbers in Covid 19 cases.”
VaxConnectKY has successfully helped people in New Jersey and Florida, Teague said. They are currently investigating how they can help a request from Missouri, though the couple say they no longer have the bandwidth to expand to states outside of Kentucky.
“We wish the system was simpler,” Teague said. “There are a lot of hoops you have to jump through to get your appointment, so I just wish the whole system was easier to navigate.”