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HANOVER TWP. — The state Department of Aging provided some insight Thursday regarding the mass vaccination center set up through Walmart at Hanover Area High School.

The site sparked some controversy because it was fully pre-booked with appointments as soon as it opened this week, and some felt it should have been available for local people to get vaccinated. On Tuesday, state Sen. John Yudichak, I-Swoyersville, and district Superintendent Nathan Barrett sent letters to the state Department of Health and Walmart seeking an explanation.

On Wednesday a spokesman said Department of Health was not involved, and that the federal government had made arrangements directly with Walmart to set up the site. Walmart then turned to the Department of Aging to help schedule appointments for the elderly.

Late Wednesday evening Department of Aging communications director Karen Gray responded via email to several questions regarding the site, confirming that Walmart did contact the department “for help with getting vaccine into the arms of the most vulnerable older adults.

“PACE, Pennsylvania’s prescription assistance program for older adults, is offering assistance with vaccine appointments to PACE/PACENET enrollees, who number about 275,000 statewide,” Young wrote. “These are lower-income folks who qualify for prescription assistance.

“PACE will be reaching out to and following up with these enrollees via a postcard, a mailed letter and a call. There will also be a group of targeted at-risk enrollees who will receive additional outreach. All of these efforts are predicated on the understanding that much of this audience is not internet-savvy and therefore at a disadvantage in obtaining a vaccine.

“As part of this effort, the PACE program has partnered with Walmart on its vaccine clinics, pre-enrolling some of the slots with some of the most vulnerable older adults for a vaccine at the locations, including the clinic in Hanover Township in Luzerne County that opened this week, and has also been pre-enrolling older adults from local Area Agency on Aging programs, and also helping older adults calling the PA Link.

“So, most of these slots were pre-filled with older, lower income adults from the corresponding geographic areas where the clinics are being held. These actions are responsive to the calls by advocates, legislators and the public that older adults who are least equipped to obtain vaccines for themselves receive individual help.”

Asked what percentage of those vaccinated at the Hanover Township site lived in Luzerne County, Young said the department doesn’t have an exact breakdown at this time, but added the clinic is vaccinating “Close to 400 a day, majority from Luzerne County, that is the intention, but some may be from contiguous counties.”

Because of the limited supply of vaccines, Young wrote, “For now, PACE will be pre-enrolling older adults into these clinics,” but added that “as the clinics continue and vaccine availability grows, we hope to see more available for the public to sign up.”

Department of Aging offers some details on Hanover Area/Walmart vaccination center