Hundreds Of Bucks Co. Vaccine Appointments Canceled, Postponed

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — A software error and residents sharing their registration information with others led to hundreds of COVID-19 vaccination appointments in Bucks County being cancelled or postponed, officials say.

The appointments mostly were at the Bucks County Community College in Newtown and had been set for Tuesday and Wednesday, according to a statement released by the Bucks County Board of Commissioners.

Bucks County began vaccinating residents at three public clinics set up on BCCC campus on Tuesday.

Bucks County Vaccine Clinics Open Tuesday: What To Know

Commissioners say a software glitch from a technology company contracted by the county resulted in some overbooking on those days. The problem was made worse, they said, when people who received an invitation to make an appointment shared their invitations with others.

Eventually, the links to schedule ended up on social media and people who are not yet eligible for a vaccination signed up, as well as people who are eligible but had not yet been invited to schedule, commissioners said.

The appointments for people who are not yet eligible were canceled and the ones for people who are were rescheduled, according to the statement.

Bucks County received 3,000 doses of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine last week that were designated for the three clinics. Commissioners called that a "relatively small" allotment that they expect will increase in coming weeks.

Over the weekend, Bucks County sent out 5,000 appointment invitations to people currently eligible for the vaccine who had registered online. The invitations to make an appointment in the next two weeks were sent based on when people registered with the county — basically first come, first served.

In Phase 1A of Pennsylvania's vaccination plan, everyone 65 and older is eligible for a vaccine, along with healthcare and nursing home residents and workers and people 16 or older who have health conditions that put them at high risk from the virus.

Commissioners say the IT vendor is working to make sure the glitch doesn't happen again.

"We are sorry for those who have been inconvenienced by having to reschedule," the statement said. "The county is continuing to schedule 1A people based on when they signed up on our registration site. If they have already registered on our site, there is nothing more they need to do."

The clinics mark a significant advance in Bucks County, which, like the rest of Pennsylvania, has lagged behind other areas of the country in vaccine availability. In addition to the clinics opening, hospitals in Bucks County have begun delivering the vaccine to eligible patients.

Click Here To Register For A COVID-19 Vaccination In Bucks County

People with additional questions about the appointment process or cancellations can contact AMI toll-free at 844-522-5952 or email AMI at callcenter@ami.health.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, 36,458 people in Bucks County had received the first dose of the two-dose coronavirus vaccine as of Tuesday morning and 17,783 had received both shots.

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