ICYMI - WMUR: Some NH seniors waiting months, traveling far from home for vaccine appointments

In Case You Missed It, WMUR reported that as New Hampshire opened up vaccine registration for those in Phase 1b, elderly Granite Staters have had their COVID vaccine appointments canceled or rescheduled to locations hours away, forcing many to wait even longer to receive the vaccine. This comes as reports show that, under Governor Sununu, New Hampshire is struggling to administer the COVID vaccine. According to updated data from Bloomberg News, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, and New York have all moved ahead of New Hampshire in the percentage of the population that has been vaccinated. Vermont’s vaccination rate is 8.31 percent, Maine’s is 8.13 percent, Connecticut’s is 9.02 percent, and New York’s is 7.53 percent. Meanwhile, New Hampshire has vaccinated only 6.86 percent of its population.

Key points:

• “Some Granite Staters have experienced frustration and difficulty scheduling appointments to be vaccinated as a part of Phase 1B.”

• “Agustin L'Etoile, 83, of Pike, booked an appointment for next week, only to learn it was canceled and had to be rescheduled to a full month later and an hour away.”

• “Sue Ruka, of Madison, helped her 94-year-old mother book an appointment, but it is not until April.”

• “‘Here’s a group of vulnerable people that may not get vaccinated until really late, and how many more people are going to get ill or die because of that?’” Ruka said.

WMUR: Some NH seniors waiting months, traveling far from home for vaccine appointments

By Jesica Moran and Cherise Leclerc

January 24, 2021

State officials asked people to be patient when they announced the details of Phase 1B of the COVID-19 vaccination process. But some say they are waiting much longer than expected.

Some Granite Staters have experienced frustration and difficulty scheduling appointments to be vaccinated as a part of Phase 1B. Agustin L'Etoile, 83, of Pike, booked an appointment for next week, only to learn it was canceled and had to be rescheduled to a full month later and an hour away. Sue Ruka, of Madison, helped her 94-year-old mother book an appointment, but it is not until April. “Here’s a group of vulnerable people that may not get vaccinated until really late, and how many more people are going to get ill or die because of that?” Ruka said. “We are looking forward to being able to move around and see people and well. That’s still in the future, but a little further out in the future,” L'Etoile said.

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