Bucks Co. Opens Vaccine Hotline For Residents With No Internet

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — As Bucks County prepares to offer coronavirus vaccinations to a wider swath of the public, officials are urging residents to sign up to receive the vaccine.

The county is asking any resident who can do so to register via the county's online COVID-19 portal. Click Here To Register For The COVID-19 Vaccine In Bucks County

But, for those who do not have internet access, there is another way. In Bucks County, residents may register for a vaccination by calling the county's coronavirus helpline at 1-800-383-0371.

The helpline is a way to ensure everyone in Bucks County has a way to sign up for the shots, officials said. But, they are urging anyone who can to sign up online in hopes of avoiding the helpline being overloaded.

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People without internet access are encouraged to first seek out friends and family members who can help them register online. The county's public libraries also offer free internet access, they noted.

Bucks County Chief Operating Officer Margaret McKevitt said the county's health department, human services department, housing department and military affairs department all have been involved in vaccine outreach plans.

Nonprofit service providers like the Bucks County Opportunity Council and Family Services Association also will be helping with outreach, she said.

"Currently our primary form of communication has been limited to the county’s website, news outlets, and social media," said McKevitt. "We realize we are able to reach a large segment of the population through these channels, however, greater effort will be needed to connect with folks that may not have internet access or an email address."

She said the county will be sending out printable vaccine-education flyers to social service partners, schools, senior centers and other organizations. Homeless outreach coordinators will be distributing handouts as well, McKevitt said.

By Tuesday afternoon, nearly 200,000 people already had registered for a vaccination through Bucks County, according to spokesman Larry King.

In Pennsylvania, anyone 65 and older is currently eligible to receive a COVID vaccination, along with anyone 16 or older with a list of existing health conditions. The state dramatically expanded the list of people eligible to receive the vaccine last week, taking local officials by surprise and leaving them to scramble for enough vaccine to catch up.

Currently, almost all of the vaccinations being given in Bucks County are happening at the county's hospitals and are going to healthcare workers and nursing home residents and employees.

The county has announced plans to turn three current coronavirus testing sites into vaccination clinics in the next few weeks and at least two Bucks County hospitals have announced they plan to establish vaccination clinics by mid-February.