A survey of 2,200 AARP New York activists found less than half of them were able to successfully schedule an appointment for a COVID-19 vaccine, the group said Thursday. 

The survey underscores the difficulty for New Yorkers, and older people in particular, in signing up online for an appointment. 

“These are online activists – New Yorkers with computer capabilities,” said AARP New York State Director Beth Finkel. “If things are this frustrating for them, it’s even worse for the many older New Yorkers who aren’t computer-savvy. We urged the governor last month to keep improving the sign-up system, and we think this survey shows continued and ongoing improvements are imperative.”

The survey found 43.8% of respondents were successful in signing up for a vaccine appointment. Still, that's an 8.4% improvement from last month's survey by the group, AARP New York said. 

But the difficulties to vaccinate people of color are also reflected in the survey. Only 39% of people of color who participated in the survey had success in scheduling a vaccine appointment. That includes 34.6% of Black respondents.

New York also has a toll-free phone line (1-833-NYS-4-VAX, or 1-833-697-4829) to help schedule vaccination appointments.