PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The number of people who want the COVID-19 vaccine far outpaces the number of available doses. As people scramble to find appointments, some are sharing registration links, which is creating headaches for county officials.
Chester County Health Director Jeanne Franklin said they canceled appointments made through improperly shared links.
She said it was a tough decision to cancel the appointments as many people who signed up do qualify to get the vaccine, but the county has a waiting list.
“But we have to be fair and systematically work through the group to ensure those who did sign up and have been patiently waiting and do have their opportunity,” she explained.
Bucks County is experiencing similar issues, where Commissioner Bob Harvie said they’re working with the company providing their links to try to prevent them from being shared, but there were some holes.
“We have a limited amount of vaccine we’re given by the state every week, we’re trying to make sure we’re prioritizing who’s getting it so we ask people have that understanding as we move forward,” he said.
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Additionally, Harvie said there was a glitch that allowed overbooking at the Bucks County Community College main campus site. They’re working to rebook those appointments.
Both Harvie and Franklin say if the email is not directly from the county, the link is not meant for you.
It’s also been a problem in Montgomery County, but officials say they’re rolling out single-use registration links this week.