By Susan Hardee Steger
January 22, 2021
While Nassau County Emergency Management introduced a successful vaccine waitlist launch, about half of the lucky winners in the drawing for over 900 vaccinations were faced with significant hurdles in order to make an appointment. Frustrations with busy phones, and confusing messaging led the complaints. According to NCEM Director Greg Foster, having a Nassau County, Florida, and a Nassau County, New York added 975 names to the Florida list. These individuals were contacted and, for those who were unaware they had signed up for a Florida vaccination program, their names were removed from the list.
An unofficial report from one individual calling into the COVID-19 phone line was told problems arose from the appointment system being hacked, and confusing messaging received by those on the waitlist. People who were not selected ended up receiving notice that they were on the lucky winner list. The COVID-19 call center phone lines, manned by helpful volunteers, were overwhelmed.
As of yesterday afternoon, over 10,000 individuals were listed on the Nassau County waitlist. Over 6,000 Nassau County residents have been vaccinated.
For individuals who have received a vaccine through other COVID-19 vaccine pipelines, please call the COVID-19 Help Desk at 904-548-0900 to remove your name from the list. Also, individuals are reminded in order to save time, please add your name only once to the waitlist.
Names are chosen by “random” off the waitlist. The citizens of Nassau need to know how random names are selected. Is the person who signs up today placed in the same waitlist pool as the person who signed up two weeks ago. Do the people doing the random selection have the opportunity to place friends and family ahead of citizens that are not friends and family. My wife and I have been on the waitlist for weeks no selection. No one we know or associate with has been selected off the wait list. Got a E mail from Laurel Island Links in Camden County where I occasionally play golf and it said vaccine available, call this number. I called and five minutes later both my wife and I are scheduled for vaccines early Monday morning. Something is very wrong with Nassau County.