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: 570-420-3735
• Pike County: 570-775-5550
• Schuylkill County: 570-622-3103
• 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: 570-495-2395
• 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.