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South Florida Couple's Facebook Page Helps Seniors Get COVID-19 Vaccinations

MIAMI (CBSMiami) - A South Florida couple has taken it upon themselves to help seniors get that COVID vaccine appointment.

Katherine Quirk, a nurse, and Russ Schwartz, a school principal, came up with a solution to help those particularly technology-challenged South Florida seniors.

They opened a Facebook group page where they post the latest openings for vaccine appointments. The page has attracted volunteers who make appointments for seniors.

"We thought they are going to have challenges with the gap of technology in their lives trying to figure out how to make appointments," said Quirk.

It's not easy for older folks to quickly jump on a computer when appointments open up, much less know where to look for the online sign-ups.

Click here to access the Facebook page.

"You have to be on your computer ready to go the minute those appointments become available or be able to make a phone call," Schwartz says.

"So, we thought, wouldn't it be great if there was a one-stop shop for COVID vaccine information?" said Quirk.

Announcements posted on where to look for appointments, important phone numbers, and volunteers who are willng to make appointments for those who could not.

"Our primary focus is getting shots in arms," said Quirk.

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Online detractors have questioned the couple's motives.

Jackson Memorial Hospital has limited the number of appointments one person can reserve, but through it all the information is valuable and the appointments for seniors are being made.

"People have lives, they don't sit at their computers all day looking for the tweet that they can make that phone call," Schwartz adds.

"We are just normal people who wanted to help someone else," said Schwartz.

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