Syracuse, NY – An unpublished vaccine entry link for Covid-19 in New York was leaked this week and posted on social media, allowing many people to make appointments on sites that should not have been open yet, government officials said today. said.
The violation allows people to make appointments at six vaccination sites that the state Department of Health is still in the planning phase: Binghamton, Buffalo, Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Stony Brook and Utica.
All the appointments have been canceled and people who have signed up are being contacted, according to a news release from the office of Marcy Stevens, general counsel of the state office for information technology services.
“As this pandemic has shown, fairness and equal access are crucial in the distribution of the vaccine, and to ensure compliance with these principles, all unauthorized appointments have been declared void,” the report said. “We will continue to protect all information from New Yorkers and ensure equal access to the vaccine for all who are eligible.”
The release does not say who leaked the login link, where it appeared on social media or how many people made appointments. The case is said to have been referred to the Office of the State Inspector General, which is investigating the conduct of government officials and agencies.
About 7 million New Yorkers are now eligible for the shots, though the state only receives about 300,000 doses a week. The Department of Health announced today that appointments at all state-owned enterprises will be booked until mid-April. Five sites are open and another 15 are planned.
If you signed up for an appointment at one of the six sites and then canceled it, we’d love to talk to you and include your story in an article on Syracuse.com. Call reporter Glenn Coin at 315-470-3251.
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