MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – According to the Minnesota Department of Health, a message that a number of Minnesota people received Saturday morning that their COVID-19 vaccination appointment had been canceled was erroneously sent by a seller.
The department said the “vast majority” of people who received the message sent by Primary Bio were accidentally received. About 20 minnesotans would receive the message; they had signed up for a vaccination appointment despite not being eligible for it due to a flaw in the Primary Bio system, the department said.
“Our supplier, Primary Bio, has taken full responsibility and apologized to the State of Minnesota and all lovers affected,” said a statement from MDH. “The minnesotans who received the message in error this morning have been informed that their appointments have been confirmed and that they are scheduled to appear for their appointment.”
Primary Bio released the following statement: “We take full responsibility for the error that occurred earlier in the day, which led to thousands of Minnesota receiving false information about their vaccination appointment. We corrected that error and communicated directly with Minnesota that their appointment will be confirmed as scheduled. We have apologized to the state of Minnesota and all those Minnesota victims and are taking immediate action to ensure that this does not happen in the future. “
The original message read, “MDH COVID-19 Vaccine Pilot Program 65+, you could schedule a vaccination appointment even though you weren’t randomly selected. Therefore, we regret to inform you that your appointment is unauthorized and no longer valid. As long as you pre-register for the COVID-19 vaccine pilot program, you will remain on the list for potential future opportunities. Thank you for your patience and understanding. IMPORTANT: Please do not visit a vaccine pilot site. Walk-ins are not accepted and you do not have an appointment at this time. “
Joseph Pettini of Minneapolis was one of those who received the error email from Primary Bio on Saturday morning. He received 15 emails with the exact same message around 10:45 am
“To be honest, I was a bit hectic, since it’s the follow-up appointment and it’s supposed to be within that particular time frame,” said Pettini, “I thought, ‘Well, do I have to start all over again? What does this mean?’
When he received the last email saying it was an issue that had been resolved, he was very relieved.
“I understand the state is doing the best they can with what they have,” said Pettini.
His second dose appointment is on February 11. His wife, who is also eligible, is still on the pre-registered waiting list.
The MDH reported that there is no indication that the message resulted in a no-show on Saturday.