When August rolls around, there should be an ample amount of coronavirus vaccine doses to accommodate every adult in the U.S. Around this time last month, over 70 million doses have been released and roughly 50 million Americans have been vaccinated.
Given that the states are comprised of more than 200 million grown-ups, establishing an orderly vaccination process requires careful coordination from multiple parties.
This is where apps come in extra handy in this context.
Since the pandemic has shifted how the globe consumes data and relates to consumerism, both mobile and web applications have become critical in helping leaders account for logistics.
That said, it would be an understatement to say that technology has never been more crucial to bridge the gaps we face today.
How apps are helping meet the vaccine demand
A professional developer in Massachusetts, Olivia Adams took it to herself to build a website that lets vaccine finders conveniently go through information about vacant vaccination schedules.
Whereas a multitude of resources presented varying data about which nearby vaccination centers are open and have availabilities, Adams’ app made it easy to determine which health centers could accommodate people at a given time.
In an interview with WebMD, she shares that Arlington had a list of possible locations, but no organized system was present to make everything simple and easy for people.
When word on her app hit the streets, her product was averaging about a hundred hits a minute, and she’d get good feedback from people saying her app made it easier to find a vacant vaccination appointment.
In Georgia, the same narrative met Ben Warlick. No stranger to the power of tech, he built a program that went through government sites to determine which centers had available vaccination schedules.
In the end, he was able to help his parents and in-laws score appointments.
His early success on his mini-project then led him to develop the Georgia Vax App; a text-based interface that alerted residents of Georgia about open vaccination appointments, sparing them the hassle of having to go through a host of government websites to check for vacancies themselves.
While it isn’t loaded with data for every single county, a whopping forty-thousand people have signed up, signifying the demand for the service.
In another interview, Warlick tells WebMD that the response has been massive. He cites that he’ll have to start charging to make up for the fees has had to cover. Although it won’t cost users to check the vaccination schedule statuses in their county, the attorney-by-day shares that users will have to pay $5 if they want to find out vaccination information about neighboring counties, pharmacies, and supermarkets.
On that note, similar crowdsourcing projects abound in states like Pennsylvania, California, New Jersey, Michigan, and New York.
Furthermore, signing up at Dr. B. allows users to include their names on a standby vaccination list where people are given 15 minutes to confirm—should a schedule permit—whether or not they can show up at an appointment in two hours. Since the vaccine’s shelf-life is limited, this arrangement has proven effective for a good number of people.
Apps as certifications
Furthermore, the New York Times reports that “Covid-19 health pass apps could help reopen businesses and restore the economy.”
Not too long from now, major airlines like Lufthansa, United, and JetBlue intend to introduce CommonPass, a health passport app that serves as a virus test result verifier—and soon enough, a vaccination certificate.
A report notes that the app will release confirmation codes allowing passers to hop on international flights.
While this is clearly (and arguably temporarily) only for airplane trips, it isn’t impossible for this arrangement to be embraced by schools, employers, entertainment centers, and other commercial institutions.
Dr. Brad Perkins, the Commons Project Foundation chief medical officer, says that this system may well be part of the new normal.
Although a lot can be said about employing smartphones to prove one’s vaccination, what’s undeniable is that apps and programs play an irreplaceable role in streamlining the logistics of it all.
From scheduling vaccination appointments to being able to prove you’re virus-free, both mobile and web apps are critical in helping rebuild a broken globe.
Whether pandemic-related or not, we’ve also never been more reliant on programs and software to help us continue living modern life.
Whatever your politics on vaccination is, one thing is clear: apps are here to stay, and they’re about to conquer even more of how we deal with life moving forward.
Do you have apps you wish to build? We’re the agency for you!
