A link shared on social media and group chats this week allowed some New Yorkers to make COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

The problem? The link was unpublished, the appointments were not authorized, and the vaccination sites in Binghamton, Buffalo, Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Stony Brook, and Utica were either not open or taking appointments. 

The circulation of the link was the latest bump in the road for the rollout of the state's vaccination distribution over the last month, which is ramping up across the state with mass vaccination sites and an ever-expanding list of eligible people as identified by federal officials. 

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office on Thursday said the situation was under review with the state inspector general.

"As this pandemic has shown, equity and equal access are critical in distributing the vaccine, and to ensure these principles are followed all unauthorized appointments have been voided — we are currently contacting everyone who used the unauthorized link to inform them of the situation," said Mercy Stevens, the general counsel for the Office of Information Technology. "We will continue to safeguard all New Yorkers' information and ensure equal access to the vaccine for everyone eligible."

The state Department of Health's sole method of signing up for vaccinations at state-operated sites is through the Am I Eligible website.