Northampton County launches rides for seniors to vaccine appointments
Written by Victoria Scialfa on February 17, 2021
Northampton County launches rides for seniors to vaccine appointments
By Chloe Nouvelle
February 17, 2021
Getting a vaccine appointment can be hard enough. Getting there is another issue.
Northampton County is picking up the tab for seniors who need rides to their COVID-19 vaccination appointments.
“Many of our senior citizens in Northampton County don’t have a way to access one of the many COVID-19 vaccination sites that are in existence,” says Northampton County Executive Lamont McClure.
The Lehigh and Northampton Transportation Authority (LANTA), the Lehigh Valley’s public transit authority, will provide this door-to-door service.
The program removes barriers that may prevent seniors from getting their shots, says Owen O’Neil, LANTA’s executive director.
“It’s just a question of them calling just like any other medical appointment, they can call, set up their trip, and we can get them to and from those appointments,” O’Neil says.
McClure says the county is spending $20,000 to seed the program.
The county says those dollars will come from Northampton’s Area Agency on Aging and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development.
Seniors can call 888-253-8333 for more information.
Sign up for our WLVR weekly newsletter to stay up to date with the latest news from the Lehigh Valley and across Pennsylvania.
Music