By: Joshua Gras, Writer / Follow South Jersey News Reporting Intern
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, N.J. — On March 24, senior citizens in Cumberland County became eligible for assistance in getting a COVID-19 vaccine thanks to new services unveiled by Cumberland County Commissioner Director Joseph Derella.
There are 46,000 people without access to the internet in New Jersey. The new phone lines for seniors are meant to help residents without internet access get more information on, make appointments for, and get transportation assistance to vaccination locations. Derella wants to make sure all seniors have access to the necessary vaccination resources.
“We do not want seniors to go unvaccinated,” Derella said.
Cumberland county residents older than the age of 60 who don’t have access to internet can call the Office of Aging at (856) 453-2220. Vineland residents in the same category can also call the Vineland Health department at (856) 405-4603. Those who need assistance traveling to get their vaccines can call the Cumberland Area Transportation System at (856) 691-7799.
Residents in other parts of the state can calls New Jersey’s vaccine appointment hotline at (855) 568-0545.
COVID-19 disproportionately affects those older than the age of 60 more severely than others, so seniors are encouraged to use the resources to stop the spread of the virus that has taken the lives of more than 540,000 Americans if they haven’t been vaccinated already. New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout only prioritized front-line health care workers ahead of senior citizens, but some older community members have still not been vaccinated despite being eligible for months.
Seniors with internet access can gain more information here.
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This article was produced by a Follow South Jersey news intern thanks to a grant provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation through the New Jersey Health Initiatives program to create hyper-local news to meet the informational and health needs of the City of Bridgeton, N.J.
