Pasadena, California, officials canceled a coronavirus vaccine clinic after hundreds of ineligible media and Hollywood workers signed up for appointments, they said.
Elderly residents and local workers were jumped over by around 900 appointment slots as media workers who did not yet qualify for the vaccine left only 600 empty slots open for eligible vaccine recipients, the Pasadena Public Health Department said Tuesday.
The clinic was designated for people over the age of 65 and workers who live or work in Pasadena, city spokeswoman Lisa Derderian said.
“Hundreds signed up within the first hour,” Derderian told the Los Angeles Times. “It was like rapid fire.”
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Derderian confirmed most of the appointments were booked by workers for production companies, streaming services, and news outlets.
An email was sent to eligible vaccine candidates in the days before the slated appointment day of Thursday, she added, but noted many recipients of the email might have ignored a message telling recipients not to forward it to ineligible vaccine candidates.
The email reportedly included a dark red warning label, saying, “Vaccine supply is limited. Before registering, please check to see if you are eligible to sign up.”
California has limited vaccine access to people 65 and older, as well as essential workers in food and agriculture, education, child care, healthcare, and emergency services. No other essential workers are eligible.
Rather than calling 900 ineligible people within days of the slated vaccination day to tell them not to arrive, the city decided to reschedule the clinic, and no new date has been selected yet.
Across California, reports of glitches in vaccine sign-up systems have led to many frustrations among eligible residents attempting to get their vaccine.
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A similar problem happened in Los Angeles County when registration codes meant to reserve vaccination appointments for residents of communities badly affected by COVID-19 went to some ineligible private-school teachers and Hollywood workers.
The Washington Examiner reached out to Pasadena Public Health Department but did not immediately receive a response.
