Statewide vaccination appointment site has issues for some

A new statewide vaccine appointment booking system launched on Friday and with it came new issues for some people.

Vaccines are supposed to be available for those that are 65 and older, but when some 65-year-olds attempted to register on Friday, the website said they didn’t meet the requirements.

Many people who were born in 1955 called and messages WINK News to report they couldn’t get through.

“I was kind of like yeah OK, we still don’t have this process worked out in Florida,” said Bruce Winterstone, a Fort Myers resident. “I thought to myself … it doesn’t think I’m 65 so I had to go back and say I was born in 1954 and when I did that it worked.”

Cherie Karcher, also born in 1955, was locked out too. Her husband, though, got right through.

“He’s only 9 months older than me, but he’s born in 54,” he said.

The Division of Emergency Management is in charge of the website. They did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

Dr. Joseph Pepe, from the Department of Health in Charlotte County, said he hasn’t heard of that issue.

“I’ll certainly pass that along to the company that’s doing that for us to make sure that that’s OK,” Pepe said.

People with pre-existing conditions also called WINK News.

Randy Brooks called from Miami-Dade. Brooks has diabetes and thought he was eligible, but it turns out he’s not.

“It was like maybe you see a little light at the end of the tunnel and then it’s just like boom it’s a slap in the face,” Brooks said.