MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) A message that some Minnesotans received on Saturday morning saying that their COVID-19 vaccination appointment had been canceled was incorrectly sent, according to the Minnesota Department of Health.
The department said the “vast majority” of the people who received the message, sent by Primary Bio, sent it incorrectly. About 20 Minnesotans were supposed to receive the message; according to the department, they registered for a vaccination appointment, although they were not eligible due to an error in the Primary Bio system.
“Our vendor, Primary Bio, has accepted full responsibility and apologized to the State of Minnesota and all Minnesotans affected,” MDH said. “The Minnesotans who received the message incorrectly this morning have been notified that their appointments have been confirmed and that they must show up at their appointment as previously scheduled.”
Primary Bio released the following statement: “We take full responsibility for the error that occurred earlier today, which resulted in thousands of Minnesotans receiving incorrect information about their vaccine appointment. We corrected the error and communicated directly to Minnesotans, influencing their appointment to be confirmed on schedule. We apologize to the state of Minnesota and all the Minnesotans affected and take immediate action to ensure that this does not happen in the future. ”
The original message was: ‘MDH COVID-19 Vaccine Pilot Program 65+, you were able to make a vaccination appointment even though you were not randomly selected. As a result, you regret notifying us that your appointment is unauthorized and no longer valid. As long as you have pre-registered for the COVID-19 vaccination program, you will remain on the list for possible future opportunities. Thank you for your patience and understanding. IMPORTANT: Please do not visit any vaccine pilot site. Walk-ins are not accepted and you do not have an appointment at this time. ”
Joseph Pettini of Minneapolis was one of the people who received the bug email from Primary Bio on Saturday morning. He received 15 emails with exactly the same message around 10:45
“Honestly, I was a little crazy because it’s the follow-up appointment and it’s supposed to be within the certain time frame,” Pettini said, “I was like, ‘Well, I’ll have to start over? What does it mean?'”
After receiving the final email and saying it was a problem, he is very relieved.
“I understand that the state is doing the best it can, with what it has,” Pettini said.
His second dose appointment is on February 11th. His wife, who also qualifies, is still on the pre-registered waiting list.
The MDH reported that there was no indication that the message on Saturday led to any exhibitions.