Older adults living in low-income housing feel left out of vaccination rollout plan

NEWTON, Mass. — So many residents living in low-income senior housing facility are feeling left out of the vaccination plan. Around them, other friends at senior living facilities were getting the vaccine first, but these residents weren’t.

We sat down with a 93-year-old woman, Marilyn Berman, who says while she may not be rich, she and her friends should’ve been included in the early phase of the vaccine rollout plan.

“We’ve never been rich, but we had a lot of love. That to me is more important,” said Marilyn Berman.

In December, we first told you about Marilyn Berman.

She lives at the Golda Meir house in Newton, a subsidized living facility.

“I haven’t been able to see my grandchildren,” said Berman.

Berman, who is a mother of three, grandmother of nine and a great-grandmother of seven, misses spending time with her family.

Month after month, she has been spending time alone in her apartment, where she even played hairdresser on herself.

Berman explained to us how she cuts her own hair, because she can’t get out. “This is a little choppy, the front, the sides, I hold and do a lift over,” she said.

Berman and her family have been following the vaccine rollout plan, and she was feeling left out that her population wasn’t included in it.

“We were in the back burner, because we didn’t have a lot of money, that we should get it anyway,” said Berman.

Finally, on Wednesday afternoon, she and her friends got the news they have been waiting for: they will be getting vaccinated at the end of January.

“For older adults living in subsidized housing, they face a double threat from COVID, for virtue of their age, more vulnerable to serious illness and death, and more at risk,” said Amy Schectman, president and CEO of 2 Life communities.

“I’m thrilled, I’m thrilled,” said Berman.

Thrilled, because she can finally spend time with her friends in the lobby.

“With the injection, I should be safer,” said Berman.

Berman went onto say: “Just because we aren’t rich, it doesn’t mean we should get treated any differently, No one should. We all get dressed the same way every day!”

Berman and others are expected to get vaccinated the week of the 20th.

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