CITF says block bookings among reasons for AstraZeneca appointment confusion

PUTRAJAYA: Preliminary investigations into complaints over AstraZeneca vaccine appointment slots show that a large number came from the same IP addresses, including the Selangor government's Selangkah app.

The Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force said they had received complaints from individuals who were given appointments for AstraZeneca vaccinations even though they did not make any bookings when the slots were made available on Wednesday (May 26).

The task force also received complaints that existing appointments at vaccination centres (PPVs) were replaced with appointments for AstraZeneca jabs.

"Checks and initial investigations showed that several slots for AstraZeneca vaccines were reserved in large numbers on behalf of others without getting their consent, especially if they accepted the AstraZeneca vaccine or not.

"CITF has found that the reservations were made from several IP addresses. CITF contacted one of the parties which made a large number of slot bookings, which is Selangkah," it claimed in a statement on Friday (May 28).

The task force claimed that Selangkah had acknowledged that it had made reservations for AstraZeneca vaccinations without first checking if individuals in the ImuniSEL database had agreed to the vaccine, which resulted in the change of appointments for those who had been earlier been given dates for vaccination at PPVs.

"Selangkah has given its assurance to work with CITF and resolve these issues and ensure those involved would be given back their old appointment dates," it said.

In an immediate response, Selangkah Ventures Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Tengku Iesta Tengku Alaudin denied they were involved in any such AstraZeneca vaccination appointment bookings.

"We were never contacted by the CITF about this issue as claimed," he said in a statement on Friday.