Word began spreading on social media and in personal messages and conversations on Friday: the state of Utah reportedly had problems meeting COVID-19 vaccination schedules, and the vaccines could be lost.
So thousands of Utahs went to the new system at vaccinate.utah.gov. Due to a mistake by the State Department of Technology Services, the state acknowledges, the website allowed them to schedule meetings – despite the fact that they do not have specific health conditions or are old enough to meet current criteria.
So while the faulty website led these Utahns to believe that empty slots and wider access existed, they didn’t exist – and now 7,200 people have either their reservations canceled or canceled alone, and some are facing attacks. on social networks.
“I’m not a vaccine hunter,” said Kristin Fredrickson, 35, of Salt Lake City. “People criticize me for signing up for a vaccine. That’s not what happened at all. ”
She and a few other people told the same story – they heard that the vaccines remained unused and that the meetings remained unfilled, so they went to the site to register.
“That led us to do it,” said Dustin Wolters, 38, of Riverton. “I thought – if they don’t use it and the vaccines are wasted, I don’t want to lose that.”
[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 who is a doctor. Julie Bartel heard it from a friend who is a professor at the University of Utah. A post on social media that circulated quoted an emergency doctor at the U .; a spokeswoman said Monday that the U. is analyzing the tweet.
“The appointments were made in 100% good faith,” Bartel said. “No one tried to jump the line, but rather to make sure the shots didn’t go unused, which didn’t seem unrealistic, given the news reports about the percentage of Utahns who could give up vaccination.”
Governor Spencer Cox said last week that “starting in April and May, our biggest concern will be hesitation about the vaccine, such as how we persuade people to get this vaccine because we have so much of it.”
Wolters tried to call the county health department to verify the information he had heard, he said, but there were more than 50 callers in front of him. “And without being able to do that, we didn’t want to miss the opportunity.”
And he also thought that the story of the meetings that remained unscheduled seemed plausible.
“I personally know people who have received a vaccine because of those circumstances where people did not show up for meetings,” he said. “So there seemed to be a basis for truth in the story I heard.”
And when he really answered all the questions and was allowed to register for a meeting, he said it seemed like a confirmation that what he had been told about unused doses of the vaccine was true.
“I thought this was legitimate,” Fredrickson agreed. “Suppose a government website is programmed correctly. It should not allow you to register if it is not OK. ”
And they are especially frustrated that they are brand cheaters or line jumpers. There is a “strong insinuation that everyone who responded sincerely and signed up in good faith intentionally did something wrong,” Bartel said.
“I was very upset,” Fredrickson said. “Because I followed every guideline. I stayed home. I haven’t seen the family in over a year. We didn’t go to Christmas. I didn’t see my mother. I didn’t see my father. I missed the wedding. I lost my birthday. ”
They feel as if they have been blamed by the public, without adequate excuses or answers from government officials. Employees in Salt Lake County and state technology became aware of an issue Friday night, spokesmen said Monday.
The Salt Lake County social network is pushing to clarify that vaccine eligibility did not change until Saturday afternoon and initially did not address any explanation for the website’s problem that allowed unskilled residents to make appointments.
The Utah Department of Health issued a statement Saturday after 6 p.m., explaining that there was an error on the site.
The response from the government / health department has been discouraging, Bartel said. “It’s just an excuse for interruptions and inconveniences and the overwhelming disappointment of canceling appointments. No real explanation of how or why this happened.
“Listening to my sister-in-law cries tears of relief that her high school daughter – forced to return to school four days a week starting this week – had a vaccination meeting was a moment I will never forget. Knowing that the appointment was canceled 24 hours later, I will not forget either. ”
Brenda Wiebe, 35, of Salt Lake City, said she thought having a date just to cancel it was “incredibly disappointing. For a brief moment, I could see the end of the tunnel. A place where selfish people who don’t wear masks in grocery stores and the elevator in my building no longer put their lives in danger because I would be protected ”.
Wolters and his wife, Tristen, are both 38 years old and have no pre-existing conditions. They are caring for an elderly family member who has been diagnosed with cancer, “so we thought, ‘If we succeed, we can reduce the risk of exposing it,'” Wolters said.
They are not upset that they still have to wait their turn, but they are frustrated that they thought they registered correctly just to cancel their appointments.
“If there are people who need her more than we do, I understand,” he said. “We don’t want to take them.”
This is another common refrain among those who thought they were making legitimate appointments just to cancel them. “I don’t want to get vaccinated until it’s my turn,” said Jason Black, 45, of Salt Lake City. “Leave teachers, front-line workers and the elderly, etc. to receive theirs first, but what a disappointment. ”