Computer shy elderly are shouldered aside in vaccination race

電腦能力欠缺的老人在疫苗搶奪戰中被排擠

◎管淑平

As more and more people compete for short supplies of the life-saving Covid-19 vaccine, some of the oldest and most infirm Americans are struggling just to enter the contest.

就在愈來愈多人競相爭取供不應求的救命新冠病毒疫苗之際，有些最高齡和最弱勢的美國人正在苦苦掙扎，只求能加入這場爭奪賽。

Tom Yates, 71, is in dire need of a shot, but unable to secure it. Yates and many like him have been locked out thanks to a lack of access to and familiarity with smartphones, computers and web-based appointment signups.

71歲的葉茨亟需接種疫苗，卻沒辦法搶到名額。由於缺乏和不熟悉使用手機、電腦和預約接種疫苗網頁，葉茨和許多跟他一樣的人，都被拒之於門外。

The problem has worsened as states open shots to people 65 and older, putting the oldest in competition for rapidly disappearing slots with seniors who are more computer-savvy and mobile.（Bloomberg）

這個問題已隨著多州開放滿65歲者接種而惡化，使最高齡族群要與比較熟稔電腦和手機的老年人競爭正迅速消失的接種名額。

新聞辭典

shy：形容詞，欠缺的、不足的；用於後綴詞，有「討厭（某事物）的」之意。例句：She is camera-shy。（她不喜歡拍照。）

shoulder：動詞，用肩頂或推。例句：He shouldered his way through the crowd.（他推擠著穿過人群。）

infirm：名詞或形容詞，體弱的、體弱的人（尤其指年老者）。例句：He is elderly and infirm.（他年老體衰。）