South Jersey COVID Vaccine Site Sees New Scheduling Problems

GLOUCESTER COUNTY, NJ — New Jersey’s COVID-19 vaccine “mega-site” continues to experience problems with scheduling appointments for residents to get vaccinated, county officials said Thursday afternoon.

A glitch resulted in some appointments being double-booked, meaning there is one dose set aside for two different people, county officials said in a statement.

On Thursday night, New Jersey Department of Health officials said they were aware of the issue, and they were working with their vendor to determine the cause.

When residents schedule appointments to get their vaccinations online, they get a QPR code via email to confirm their appointment, officials said.

On Thursday afternoon, officials said they began receiving reports that people visiting the site at Rowan College of South Jersey were getting errors when scanning their codes.

People who were already on-site began getting emails that their appointment had been canceled, making their QR code useless, officials said.

The supposedly canceled appointment could then be booked by someone else, creating a double-booking of appointments, officials said.

“Now for everyone one vaccine we have, we have two individuals with appointments,” Gloucester County Commissioner Director Robert M. Damminger said. “The Gloucester County Mega Site is now dealing with yet another catastrophe we did not create. This did not deter us from serving the public.”

"We’re aware of a technical issue that caused double-booked appointments today," New Jersey Department of Health spokeswoman Donna Leusner said. "Our understanding is the Gloucester County Megasite was able to handle the majority of vaccinations with their available supply. We’re working with our vendor to address the root cause."

Earlier in the day, officials said the site was operating smoothly with the state’s New Jersey Vaccine Scheduling System (NJVSS) until it “glitched” at about 10 a.m. The site began using a backup system, which officials said they have been using since the site opened without any issues or concerns.

“Our backup system reports directly into New Jersey Immunization Information System (NJIIS) so no patient is jeopardized of getting second dose,” Damminger said.

The NJVSS began operating again at about 1 p.m., and operations resumed as normal until residents began reporting issues with their QPR codes, Damminger said.

“It is unclear if there is intended interference or just poor systems installed,” Damminger said. “Either way, we are secure in our ways to make this site thrive.”

Earlier this week, the site was found to not be scheduling second appointments at the time residents were coming for their first dose. Read more here: Gov. Murphy Urges Patience, Fix For NJ COVID Vaccine Shortage

The site was closed on Monday, but it reopened on Tuesday, and officials made a commitment to ensure anyone who has received a first dose gets a second dose. Read more here: South Jersey 'Mega-Site Reopens; 2nd Doses Being Scheduled

County officials previously said the issues in scheduling appointments were due to the NJVSS system not being compatible. Read more here: No 2nd Dose Appointments Made At COVID-19 'Megasite'
The site is located at Rowan College of South Jersey, 1400 Tanyard Road in Sewell, and is one of six sites statewide that take appointments for residents all over New Jersey.

There are also "mega-sites" at the Moorestown Mall, the Atlantic City Convention Center, the New Jersey Convention and Exposition Center in Middlesex County, the Rockaway Townsquare in Morris County and theMeadowlands Racing and Entertainment Complex in East Rutherford.

Anyone can pre-register to get vaccinated, even if they don't qualify for a vaccine yet, by visiting covidvaccinenj.gov.