Greenfield to decide on COVID-19 vaccine assistance program for seniors

GREENFIELD, Calif. (KION) The City of Greenfield will consider approving a temporary program and positions that will help citizens access coronavirus vaccines.

According to a City Council report, the program would be especially targeted to seniors, but could expand help people who struggle with online registration or face language barriers after a review of data.

The city manager Paul Wood said that city council managers all over the county have discovered that the current online registration system is difficult for older residents to manage.

“Kind of difficult for other people who may not have as much online
experience,” said Wood. “It’s difficult for them and in South County is a little more difficult because our web access is a little more slower.”

Anastasio Hernandez Martinez, a 66 year old Greenfield resident has trouble with reading and writing. This has played a part in why he has not made an appointment to get vaccinated, he said.

“I can’t read, that’s why,” said Martinez. “Well you need someone who knows how to navigate it. But I can’t. Sometimes I can’t understand my cellphone. I don’t understand it well. This is the problem that I’ve faced.”

With the help of Mee Memorial Healthcare, Greenfield decided on a paper
system. Some volunteers and staff are already reaching out to residents.
With this program they’re hoping to help the elderly and their families through flyers, phone calls and door knocking.

“We’ll go out,” said Wood. “We’ll contact the seniors that are having a problem getting into the pipeline as far as the vaccinations appointments. And work together with them to get those appointments.”

The report lists four main goals: learn registration systems to help seniors register for a vaccine, provide effective information about the vaccine, create strategies and tactics to help seniors register for vaccines, and collect data to find out how efficient the program is.

City Council is expected to discuss this as part of its regular meeting Tuesday evening.