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You cannot make an appointment.
This is what some callers say they are told when they call the state’s vaccine hotline, even though state officials said on Monday the system was put in place to help them get a niche.
Representatives didn’t say appointments weren’t available because they were all booked, frustrated people told NJ Advance Media. But instead, callers said they were told the workers had no capacity to book appointments at all.
The confusion arises after Department of Health Commissioner Judy Persichilli said at the governor’s coronavirus briefing on Monday that the hotline began making appointments.
She said more than 600 appointments had been booked through the hotline since Wednesday. Over the weekend, she said, the call center took more than 16,000 calls, registered 514 people with the New Jersey Vaccine Scheduling System (NJVSS) and made appointments for 286 people.
“They started making appointments for the first dose last Wednesday,” Persichilli said, noting that she was not sure if any appointments for the second dose were underway.
Faisel Muhammad from South Brunswick said he called the hotline on Tuesday and was fired.
“The person told me to wait for the second email after registering with NJVSS, that it will have a link to make an appointment,” Muhammad said. “No phone meeting.”
Carol Rayside said when she called a rep said, “They can only check people in and can’t make appointments.”
Vincent Tamburro said his mother, over 65, called the hotline and a representative told him: “They don’t know why they can’t plan anything. And when he tried the hotline himself, the rep said she couldn’t even get into the scheduling system.
“We’re getting incredibly frustrated,” the man from Wanaque said.
Jane, 72, who declined to give her last name, said she called the hotline several times.
“Initially, I was informed that there were operators to register and others to make appointments,” she says. “Once, I was put on hold for about an hour while waiting for an appointment operator, to be disconnected. (During) another call I was told that was incorrect. They only register.
Asked about the complaints, a spokesperson did not respond to questions about what officials allegedly said, but said the vaccine supply was limited and demand was high.
“As the commissioner said in the briefing (on Monday), callers come through, people are registered and nominations have been made for eligible people,” spokeswoman Nancy Kearney said. “As the supply increases, more appointments will become available.”
She said the call center has the same access for making appointments that is available to the public, but that they are able to see all of the appointments available in the state at once.
“As we continue to receive more vaccines from the federal government in the coming months, we anticipate that more appointments will be available through the call center,” Kearney said.
Other hotline callers reported other issues, including issues with the automated system.
Jack of Hunterdon County, who didn’t want to give his last name, said when he called, the system told him to press one if he was already registered and wanted to make an appointment.
“You are told to keep a representative, then he says since you haven’t answered please hang up and call back.” What a joke, ”he says. “Thinking that someone is going to talk to them when they are told to please wait for the next rep, then silence, and the recording says that since YOU didn’t answer, they hung up.” You don’t have a question to answer! “
Still others said they were on hold for 45 minutes or more, then suddenly got disconnected.
The call center, open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, can be reached at (855) 568-0545.
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Karin Price Mueller can be contacted at [email protected].
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