The news began to spread on social media and in personal messages and conversations on Friday: the state of Utah has reportedly had trouble filling out appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations and vaccinations are likely to spill over.
So thousands of Utahns went to the new system at vaccinate.utah.gov. Due to an error by the state Department of Technology Services, the state acknowledges, the website allowed them to schedule appointments – even though they did not have the specific health conditions or were old enough to meet current criteria.
Although the flawed website led these Utahns to believe that the empty slots and greater access existed, they did not – and now 7,200 people have had their appointments canceled or canceled on their own, and some are being attacked by social media.
“I’m not a vaccineer,” said Kristin Fredrickson, 35, of Salt Lake City. ‘People scold me for signing up for a vaccine. That is not at all what happened. ”
She and several other people told the same story – they heard that vaccines were not used and that appointments were not being filled, so they went to the website to register.
“That’s what motivated us to do it,” said Dustin Wolters, 38, of Riverton. “I thought – if they do not use it and the vaccines are going to be wasted, I do not want to miss it.”
[Read more: A flawed design by state employees allowed 7,200 unqualified Utahs to sign up for COVID-19 vaccine, officials say]
He heard it from a friend who heard it from an uncle, a doctor. Julie Bartel heard this from a friend who is a professor at the University of Utah. One social media message that was circulated called a doctor to the emergency room in the United States. a spokesman said Monday the United States is investigating the tweet.
“Agreements were made in good faith,” Bartel said. “No one was trying to jump the line, but rather to make sure shots were not misused, which was not unrealistic, given news reports about the percentage of Utahns who would probably prefer vaccination altogether.”
Governor Spencer Cox said last week that “from April and May, our biggest concern is to hesitate vaccine, like how can we convince people to get this vaccine because we have so much of it.”
Wolters tried to call the province’s health department to verify the information he heard, but he kept more than 50 callers waiting for him. “And without being able to do that, we did not want to miss our chance.”
And he also thought that the story of appointments that were unplanned seemed likely.
“I know people personally who have been vaccinated because of the circumstances where people do not show up for appointments,” he said. “There seemed to be a basis of truth in the story we heard.”
And when he answered all the questions honestly and was still allowed to sign up for an appointment, he said, it seems like a confirmation that what he was told about unused doses of vaccines is true.
“I thought it was legal,” Fredrickson agrees. ‘You assume that a government website will be programmed correctly. It would not allow you to register if it is not OK. ”
And they are especially frustrated because they are referred to as fraudsters or line talkers. There is a “strong insinuation that all of us who responded honestly and acted in good faith intentionally did something wrong,” Bartel said.
“I was really upset,” Fredrickson said. “Because we followed every guideline. We stayed at home. We have not seen family for over a year. We did not go to Christmas. I have not seen my mother yet. I did not see my father. We missed weddings. We missed birthdays. ”
They feel as if they are being blamed by public opinion, without adequate apology or response from government officials. Salt Lake County and state tech workers realized Friday night that there was a problem, spokesmen said Monday.
Salt Lake County’s social media indicated to explain that admission to the vaccine did not change until after noon Saturday, and it initially did not refer to whether the site’s error explained what allowed incompetent residents to make appointments. to make.
The Utah Department of Health issued a statement after 6 p.m. Saturday in which it explained that there was an error on the website.
“The response from the government / health department was discouraging,” Bartel said. ‘Hardly an excuse for the disruption and inconvenience and the crushing disappointment that your appointments have been canceled. No real explanation of how or why this happened.
‘Listening to my sister-in-law crying tears of relief that her high school daughter – who was forced back to school four days a week this week – had a vaccination appointment was a moment I will never forget. Knowing that the appointment was canceled 24 hours later, I will also not forget. ”
Brenda Wiebe, 35, of Salt Lake City, said it was “incredibly disappointing” to believe she had an appointment to cancel. For a brief moment, I could see the end of the tunnel. A place where selfish people who do not wear masks in grocery stores and the elevator in my building no longer endanger my life because I will be protected. ”
Wolters and his wife, Tristen, are both 38 and have no conditions that already exist. “They care for an elderly family member who has been diagnosed with cancer,” so we thought, “If we can get it, we can reduce the risk of exposing him,” Wolters said.
They are not angry because they still have to wait their turn, but they are frustrated because they thought they registered correctly to cancel their appointments.
“If there are people who need it more than we do, I understand,” he said. “We do not want to take it from them.”
This is another common refrain among those who thought they were making legal appointments just to cancel it. “I do not want to be vaccinated until it’s my turn,” said Jason Black, 45, of Salt Lake City. “Let teachers and frontline workers and older people etc. get first, but what a disappointment.”