PITTSBURGH — As Pennsylvania works its way through Phase 1A of the COVID-19 vaccination process, one eligible group is having trouble finding a vaccine: people who can’t leave their homes.
Ida Gleeson, 92, has several medical conditions preventing her from leaving her daughter’s Oakmont home.
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“We had caretakers in here and physical therapists taking care of my mother. She’s wearing her N-95 mask, but the homebound are not living in a vacuum,” said Ida’s daughter Rosemary Gleeson.
While she was able to get her first dose of the vaccine several weeks ago, Rosemary was still searching for the vaccine for her mother, until Channel 11 News stepped in to help.
“Every time you look on the internet or hear on the television that everyone is worried about the most vulnerable. Who’s more vulnerable than a 92-year-old woman stuck in the house?” Rosemary said.
Channel 11 spoke with several vaccine providers, including the Allegheny County Health Department, about vaccinating people who cannot leave their homes. While plans and programs are being discussed, nothing is in place at this point. The state health department told Channel 11 it is encouraging vaccine providers to coordinate with the Local Area Agency on Aging, so those homebound can get connected. But there’s no organized system for these people.
Days after the family spoke with Channel 11, Direct Care Physicians of Pittsburgh came to Gleeson’s Oakmont home to give her the first does of the Moderna vaccine.
“It’s very much been word of mouth so far because I don’t think people realize it’s even an option,” said Dr. Natalie Gentile. “Once they hear from someone else in their life that these doctors are doings this, that’s how we’ve been able to find people.”
Direct Care Physicians of Pittsburgh said people can email them to get doses for homebound individuals at: gentilefamilydpc@gmail.com