SAN ANTONIO — Finding better ways to connect the elderly and those without phone or internet — access to the coronavirus vaccine has been the subject of much discussion.
However, in the meantime, one local leader is going straight to the doorsteps of those individuals, making sure they’re not left behind in the county’s vaccination efforts.
For the last few days, Precinct 2 County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez has set aside time to walk the streets of the 78207 zip code, one of the areas hardest hit by the coronavirus. Armed with a clipboard and list of names taken from county assistance data, Rodriguez spent Thursday morning working to connect people to the vaccine.
"We know we've heard stories about folks not being able to to get online, not being able to get through on phone lines,” Rodriguez said. "This area in particular is is really in the middle of the digital divide. We had a lot of families, homes that don't have access to the Internet. So we're out here trying to help them get signed up.”
Rodriguez visited with several elderly residents of the West Side community — many telling the same stories.
"I’ve tried the (Alamodome), I’ve tried 311, I’ve tried every measure that I have been able to do with no results whatsoever,” one woman told Rodriguez, who took down her contact information and birth date. “It’s impossible,” the woman said.
Making no promises about a timeline, Rodriguez told each person someone with University Hospital would be in contact once vaccine appointments reopened. Despite not having a concrete timeline, many were thankful.
“I was surprised, really because nobody has ever come by since all the years I’ve lived here,” said Cristy Campos-Martinez. "I’ve been here 20, 30 years. No one has ever done this. That was great. That was real nice of him. God bless him.”
Campos-Martinez gave her information to Rodriguez to be contacted at a later date, but before she and the commissioner parted ways, she guided Rodriguez to the house of a neighbor who also needed help. The gesture, a recurring theme in the west-side neighborhood that has been ravaged by the virus.
“It seems like people watch out for each other,” Rodriguez said. "You know, you can tell these are folks that take pride in their community, pride in their culture. They look out for one another. A lot of people who have been in these homes for 50, 60 plus years. So they know each other.”
As Rodriguez visited with the elderly, barriers to the vaccination became much more apparent: Distance and transportation.
Many said the Wonderland of the Americas mall was too far and would need transportation. Many said they tried signing up at nearby community centers, but were unable to get through.
Graphics shown during a Thursday city council meeting revealed that while the west side was one of the hardest hit areas, the side of town lacked a nearby mass vaccination clinic. In addition to that, many of those who had already received the vaccination lived in areas not as impacted by the virus, including the northwest side.
Metro Health has utilized Community Health Workers to register more than 6,000 people for the vaccination, meanwhile, 311 has registered over 5,000.
Still, Rodriguez’s interactions with the west side community revealed gaps — gaps the commissioner isn’t waiting on a coordinated effort to fill.
“I'm a big believer that you do not just show up during campaign time,” Rodriguez said. “You show up during times of crisis. And, you know, this is certainly a time of crisis and we need to figure out what to do to help people."
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