A new, toll-free phone line at Alternatives for the Older Adult began ringing immediately at 9:00 this morning.
Michelle O'Neill reports.
The agency based in Moline is working with the Rock Island County Health Department to help people 65 and older make appointments and get on waiting lists for COVID-19 vaccinations. The number is 833.382.1314.
CEO Kathy Weiman says the number features three lines, and it will be available weekdays from 9 am until 3 pm.
If a senior doesn't get a vaccine appointment, their names will be placed on a waiting list.
In addition, Alternatives has volunteers working from home to help secure vaccination appointments for seniors at pharmacies in communities where are they live.
The service is for adults 65 and older who don't have the ability to register online or access to the internet.
At first, the Rock Island County Health Department will designate 40 appointments per week for the Vaccine Support Center at Alternatives for the Older Adult. But Weiman hopes that number will increase soon.
The agency serves Rock Island, Henry, Mercer, Henderson, Knox, Warren, McDonough, Bureau, LaSalle, and Putnam counties in Illinois and is already working on helping other health departments with vaccine registration.
The Quad Cities Community Foundation Disaster Recovery Fund and The Moline Foundation helped pay for the support center and toll-free number. Weiman is also asking people to be patient as the line may be busy, especially the first couple of weeks.
Again, the toll-free number in the Illinois Quad Cities is 833.382.1314, and it's available from 9 am until 3 pm, Monday through Friday.
