The tech industry is putting its considerable resources into helping millions of Americans get vaccines amid an alarming upward spiral in COVID-19 cases.
From Microsoft Corp. MSFT,
in Seattle to International Business Machines Corp. IBM,
in Armonk, NY, technology companies provide expertise nationwide in tackling a logistics task that some have likened to the moon landing.
“This is the biggest data puzzle of our lives,” requiring collaboration between technology companies and with federal and state authorities, Jason Kelley, general manager of blockchain services at IBM, told MarketWatch. “This is a team sport.”
For technology, the distribution of vaccines presents an opportunity and a challenge. The industry sees an opportunity to brush up on its credentials while fulfilling an urgent societal need, amid criticism for not pursuing major projects that radically improve people’s lives. But the ambitious implementation poses risks, as exemplified by potential security breaches in open access systems, failed planning and some fraudulent accounts.
In Florida, which reported nearly 15,000 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, online ticketing service Eventbrite Inc. EB partnered with counties to help plan immunization for Floridians aged 65 and older as the state grapples with squiggly lines, confusion and disappointment. However, some fake Eventbrite accounts surfaced, a worrying development for the future of using such services for vaccine distribution.
More COVID-19 news: Record US death toll as experts worried about the spread of new variants
“Our team has investigated and found no evidence of vaccine registry events created for the purpose of malice,” the Eventbrite spokeswoman told MarketWatch. “The unofficial event listings we found, some of which charge a fee, are likely the result of user error, where people accidentally create new event listings instead of signing up for a time slot.”
What technology undertakes is no picnic. US Digital Response, an organization that matches tech-savvy volunteers with state and local governments in need of technical assistance, has outlined eight key areas for suppliers of COVID-19 vaccines, including confirming patient eligibility, reporting data to a state’s immunization information system and vaccine inventory management.
See also: The US overlooks this powerful tool to reduce COVID-19 vaccine logjam
“Screening tech for a state or province takes time. It takes an engineer’s eye to know which supplier to use for a project, ”Raphael Lee, director of USDR’s health program, told MarketWatch. His organization helped the city of Seattle and King County find a supplier, Solv, to set up test sites.
A large number of companies have drawn up their vaccine-related plans in recent days.
IBM provides governments and private companies with supply chain management software and open blockchain technology to record and verify the temperature and treatment of each vaccine dose. The computing giant is also expanding availability of IBM Digital Health Pass, the company’s new health passport app, using Salesforce.com Inc. CRM,
to help organizations verify an individual’s vaccination status and other relevant health credentials.
In addition to the partnership with IBM, Salesforce is working with global vaccine agency Gavi on its project to distribute the vaccine fairly in 190 countries. Salesforce is also part of a project with consultant MTX for Chicago to manage vaccine distribution.
Read: How to Convince Your Family Members to Take the COVID-19 Vaccine
Google GOOGL from Alphabet Inc.,
GOOG,
says its cloud unit has broadened its pandemic response to help with vaccine information and distribution, and is working with partners to implement vaccine management solutions with state and local governments.
“Google Cloud has expanded our pandemic response to help with vaccine intelligence, and we are working with partners to deploy vaccine management solutions in state and local governments,” said a Google spokeswoman. “Google is helping people connect with high-quality information and resources about COVID-19, including vaccines, and we are working on additional products and features to give people the right information at the right time.”
Tech and Coronavirus: CES Brings New Devices to Help Stop the Spread of COVID-19
Oracle Corp. ORCL,
has donated to the federal government a national database of electronic health records and public health management applications that can be used to identify who has been vaccinated and who may be having potential side effects. Oracle plans to bring similar systems to Africa by joining the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change.
Microsoft Corp. MSFT,
works with Ernst & Young and others on vaccine management powered by Microsoft’s cloud and business services. The end-to-end solution helps to manage the vaccine manufacturing and distribution process in real time. The EY Vaccine Management Solution is built on Microsoft Azure, Dynamics 365, Power BI and Power Platform, according to Microsoft.
Biden’s Pandemic Plan: Obamacare Recovery, Mandatory Masks, Paid Sick Leave, and Free COVID-19 Tests
Uber Technologies Inc. UBER,
and Lyft Inc. LYFT,
offer to vaccinate more Americans, and Uber linked its ride service with vaccine maker Moderna Inc. MRNA,
to work with public health agencies to plan rides for those eligible for doses, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal. Lyft executives have been huddled with the incoming Biden administration over allocating federal funds for vaccine-related transportation.
In December, DoorDash Inc. DASH,
sent a letter to Robert Redfield, director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and governors across the country urging them to give priority to delivery workers in their plans for vaccine distribution.
“Dashers are on the front lines every day, providing essential services to support communities and small businesses across the country during the pandemic,” Max Rettig, DoorDash’s global head of public order, said in the Dec. 7 letter. “We are actively working with federal and state public health officials to ensure that these vital deliverers have access to vaccines as soon as possible.”