Credit: Phil Roeder
The first week of Bucks County’s public COVID-19 vaccination clinics are off to a rocky start due to link sharing and overbooking.
Tuesday marks the first day of public county-run vaccination clinics operated by AMI Expeditionary Healthcare, which the county has contracted.
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The appointment-only clinics at Bucks County Community College’s main campus in Newtown Township, Bucks County Community College’s Upper Bucks Campus outside of Perkasie, and Bucks County Community College’s Gene and Marlene Epstein Campus at Lower Bucks on Veterans Highway in Bristol Township will be open Tuesday through Saturday during the day and evening.
Some social media rumors implied the clinics would be closed, but that proved to be untrue. Other social media pages featured posts about vaccination appointments being cancelled or rescheduled.
Bucks County spokesperson Larry King confirmed some issues arose but said the clinics will be open.
Read The State’s Multi-Phase Vaccination Plan
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Bucks County is under Phase 1A of the state’s vaccine rollout plan. The county-run clinics are only inoculating those who qualify under Phase 1A.
In a statement, the Bucks County Commissioners issued the following explanation of what happened:
The county health department received 3,000 doses of Moderna vaccine last week from the state, which were designated to be used for first-round shots at our three community college sites. It is a relatively small allotment that we believe will be increasing in the coming weeks.
Over the weekend, 5,000 appointment invitations were sent out to pre-registered members of the 1A class who were selected to receive vaccine at the colleges this week and next week. The invitations were sent based on when the individuals pre-registered with the county, basically first-come, first served.
Two things happened to cause severe overbooking on Tuesday, Feb. 16, and Wednesday, Feb. 17, at the Newtown campus of the community college – and this, in turn, resulted in a number of delayed or cancelled appointments.
A software issue with the IT vendor resulted in some overbooking. This was exacerbated by people who received the original invitation and then forwarded it to other people who were not on the original list. These links then were shared over social media.
As a result of this link-sharing, hundreds of people who were not even eligible for the 1A class booked appointments. The appointments made by these ineligible people have been cancelled.
Several hundred other people, while qualified for 1A status, made their appointments through shared links, rather than from an appointment received from the county, effectively moving them up in line ahead of others. That group of people, many of whom did not realize they were effectively jumping the line and not supposed to be getting appointments yet, are being rescheduled for later dates.
The IT vendor is working to prevent this situation from happening in the future. We are sorry for those who have been inconvenienced by having to reschedule. The county is continuing to schedule 1A people based on when they signed up on our registration site. If they have already registered on our site, there is nothing more they need to do. If they have not yet registered, we encourage them to visit buckscounty.org and register through the Vaccine Information page.
People with additional questions about the appointment process or cancellations can contact AMI toll-free at 844-522-5952 or email AMI at callcenter@ami.health
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Last week, Bucks County officials told reporters improper sharing of vaccination clinic scheduling links could be a problem and they were working to cut down on chances of it happening.
Credit: James O’Malley/County of Bucks
The county plans to use 200 doses per day this week to inoculate Phase 1A patients at the three public clinics. Over the coming weeks, the hope is that the number of doses increases, according to the Bucks County Commissioners and Audrey Kenny, the county’s interim emergency management director.
The commissioners have expressed frustration at the slow rollout of the vaccine, but noted there is only so much product due to limitations on manufacturing.
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As of last week, 86 percent of vaccine doses that have come into Bucks County have gone to hospitals and pharmacies. The county has received the remaining 14 percent.
Bucks County Health Department Director Dr. David Damkser said last week that everyone is doing the best they can to get vaccines to patients.
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Ways residents can help reduce the spread of COVID-19:
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
- Wear a mask properly when in a business or where it is difficult to maintain proper social distancing.
- Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
- Clean surfaces frequently.
- Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
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