A flaw in the hospital’s website over the weekend resulted in dozens of people being rejected from a coronavirus vaccination site in Bergen County on Monday, officials said.
A “link break” from the Holy Name Medical Center’s COVID-19 vaccine registration site allowed people to do most of the registration on Sunday – although appointments had already been scheduled, according to the Teaneck municipality manager , Dean Kazinci.
“There were people who reached a point in the registration process that was almost complete,” said Kazinci on Tuesday. “They thought it was over, but they had no confirmation.”
Kazinci said the municipality received 570 doses of the state’s Pfizer vaccine and opened an equal number of vaccination appointments at the Richard Rodda Community Center at the Colonial Court.
“There were 570 doses available on Sunday and we had 570 appointments online,” said Kazinci.
But the site – run by Holy Name Hospital – continued to allow people to almost complete registration, even after the community center was full and there were no more appointments available for Monday, said Kazinci.
Those who thought they had applied online took screenshots of their registration process and went to the community center on Monday to be vaccinated.
This resulted in about 25 to 50 people being rejected, said Kazinci. “They had no confirmation of their appointment,” said Kazinci. “We didn’t have the doses to give them.”
“This was the first time that we were open and doing this (giving the vaccine),” said Kazinci.
“It is no different than when any other website has a problem or breaks. It’s no different than the Department of Labor having a problem, it’s no different than the motor vehicle department having a problem, ”he said. “We are just asking people to be a little patient with us.”
Kazinci said Holy Name’s computer technicians fixed the site problem on Sunday night and hope to be up and running again later this week. The community center was closed on Tuesday while authorities wait for more doses of vaccine.
Holy Name expects to receive two vaccine trays, totaling 2,000 doses on Tuesday. Kazinci said they are planning to schedule more appointments from Wednesday to Friday at the community center. The vaccine COVID-19 will be applied around 9 am to 3 pm, according to the city manager.
If the doses arrive as planned, Kazinci said he will alert the public via the hospital’s website and Nixle that they can start registering for the vaccine.
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