Miami-Dade County offered more than 400 vaccination appointments to people ineligible for the shot, adding to the frustration many South Floridians have felt as they struggle to secure a dose.
"At a time when so many people are so desperate for the vaccine, it's unacceptable to give the false impression that vaccines are available to those who are currently ineligible," Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement.
On Thursday, the county's vaccination portal sent out 430 invitations to people under 65 to schedule appointments. But only healthcare workers or those ages 65 and older currently qualify.
Cava said that the vendor which handles vaccine appointments, Nomi Health, was to blame for the mishap.
A statement from Nomi Health's CEO and co-founder Mark Newman said that "email invitations to schedule a vaccine were sent in error to 432 people who do not yet meet the CDC's criteria for vaccination. Given the number of people patiently waiting their turn, we apologize."
"We reached out to those impacted and immediately implemented additional controls to uphold the utmost of accuracy," the statement continued. "Nomi is collaborating with the County to ensure as many residents as possible receive vaccines this weekend, and will continue to do so as more supply becomes available."
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Cava said she had a meeting with the vendor on Friday to discuss how the error had occurred, and what they could do to prevent such a mistake from happening again.
