BROOKLYN – New Yorkers rushed to the Brooklyn Army Terminal on Thursday night after a false rumor on social media and WhatsApp circulated about a surplus of coronavirus doses.
Dosage was only available to people with appointments, said Bill Neidhardt, mayoral spokesman. The city sent people to Brooklyn Army Terminal to ask people without appointments to leave.
“There is NO vaccine available for people without appointments,” he tweeted. “It was misinformation and the notice did not come from the NYC government. We’re sending people to the Brooklyn Army Terminal to ask people in line to return home if they do not have appointments.”
Video showed a long queue and many waiting in cars.
After more than 400 surplus vaccine shots began to be distributed in Brooklyn – transmitted through WhatsApp messages and screenshots – it now looks like * part * of the scene pic.twitter.com/cndF7r5zzc
– Stephen Lurie (@luriethereal) 14 January 2021
According to social media, there are more than 410 doses to be given in the next few hours. Councilman Justin Brannan expressed frustration over the post.
‘Maybe you saw this fake image. As a result, there are now a number of people outside the Brooklyn Army Terminal who are not going to be vaccinated, ‘he tweeted. “I know we’re all desperate to get vaccinated, but sharing things like this does more harm than good and creates confusion.”