Ohio Woman Helps Hundreds Of Seniors Schedule COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments

Some seniors have struggled to get COVID-19 vaccine appointments in Ohio, so a local woman is making sure they get scheduled.

Marla Zwinggi, of Chagrin Falls, has helped more than 200 seniors — including those who are otherwise strangers to her — book COVID-19 vaccine appointments.

In a recent interview with News 5 Cleveland, Zwinggi explained that many of these seniors are “completely desperate” to schedule their appointments, often having to schedule them using technology they're not comfortable using.

Zwinggi said she witnessed the struggles of booking appointments when she helped her parents get their COVID-19 vaccines.

“It’s a labor of love, I guess,” Zwinggi told News 5 Cleveland. The Chagrin Falls woman added, “I helped book a 93-year-old woman who did not have access to a computer…I spoke with another woman who was trying to get them for her elderly parents.”

The Ohio Department of Health has tracked more than 947,000 total COVID-19 cases as of Thursday (February 18), the latest data available.

The median age of COVID-19 patients in Ohio is 42, though health experts say the elderly are more vulnerable to the virus.

Find more information about vaccine distribution plans from the Ohio Department of Health, here.

Photo: Getty Images