IOWA CITY, Iowa (KCRG) – A web developer in Iowa City uses his skills to help Iowans find COVID-19 vaccine appointments as they come out in real time.
When Brian Finley became eligible for the vaccine on Monday, he learned exactly how difficult it can be to get an appointment. He decided to use his programming skills to use data from local pharmacies and put all the information in one place on Twitter. “I was eligible and some of my close relatives were, and I think I had the same experience as a lot of other people, insofar as they were just frustrated. Constantly refreshing or looking for a vaccination appointment, ”says Finley.
The account, @IAVaccineAlerts, provides real-time appointment updates from Hy-Vee, Walgreens, and CVS locations in Iowa.
The account went live on Wednesday and has already gained more than 6,000 followers, helping to find dozens of hookups for themselves and their loved ones. “It’s just a flood of people thanking me, I’ve had people say they are in tears for getting vaccination appointments for loved ones and relatives,” says Finley, “knowing I had the opportunity to do things like this. thing, I almost would have felt guilty if I didn’t bring it out, just because everyone – most people – want the vaccine, and there’s really no downside to anyone who gets the vaccine.
Finley says he recommends people turn on notifications for the account, as open spots can be gone in minutes.
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