While COVID-19 hit the world in December 2020, different variants spread quickly and Americans were left waiting for a vaccine, hoping to build immunity against the lethal virus. The rollout was problematic when the vaccines came to market in early 2021. Strict conditions for vaccine deployment came into play, with vulnerable and immunocompromised populations given priority for initial doses. Unfortunately, eligible Americans were left scrambling to find appointment times, waiting in long lines, and navigating vaccine shortages.
The initial difficulties were increased by the short shelf life of cold storage vaccine requirements, limited capacities, and complex sign-up requirements.
Trouble Signing Up for Initial Appointment Times
The initial vaccine rollout included at-risk populations and seniors, causing a surge in appointments as people desperately tried to find protection against the virus. Reports from last year mention people waking in the middle of the night, logging into their computers, and trying to secure an appointment. Those unsuccessful in booking an appointment spent hours waiting in person at pharmacies and clinics, hoping to find an extra vaccine.
Elderly populations struggled to navigate online booking methods without previous experience or know-how. Many asked younger family members for assistance, trying to acquire an appointment that often filled faster than the pages could load.
Vaccine Scarcity Issues
On top of the initial rollout issues, the situation deteriorated further due to the vaccine’s strict storage and usage requirements. Double booking also resulted in unaccounted-for openings with healthcare providers. Studies estimated nearly 30% of all vaccine appointments were either canceled or no-shows. The excessive waste of a valuable resource was notable and devastating for vulnerable communities trying to secure the jab.
Understanding Cold Storage Vaccines
The coronavirus vaccine is a cold storage variety, meaning providers must follow strict requirements to ensure stability. This includes specific temperature regulations for transportation and adequate time to thaw before dilution. After thawing the proper quantities, clinics must use all vaccines within a strict timeframe. Clinics with predetermined appointments are planned ahead of time to provide an appropriate supply for daily appointments.
Before Dr. B, individual clinics gave extra doses to whoever was nearby due to cancelations, no-shows, and other surpluses. Registered patients who didn’t show for appointments resulted in a daily excess for the clinic.
Dr. B Joined the Fight in Healthcare
Founder Cyrus Massoumi noticed significant gaps in vaccine deployments, mainly when it came to vaccine waste. He believed clinics needed a way to fairly offer willing patients any surplus vaccines (often through cancelations and no-shows) instead of throwing them in the trash. With this intent, Dr. B was founded in early 2021. The website’s premise was simple; interested participants could register through the platform. When a clinic within the participant’s geographical area had an extra vaccine, they’d receive a text notification. The providers simply reported any extra doses online in an effort to fill the vacancies.
Dr. B’s Successful Plan
The launch of the standby list was deliberate, with the intention to highlight the service in underserved communities first. One Dr. B review identifies these at-risk communities as Latino-Hispanic, Black, and Indigenous communities. The review suggests that Massoumi wanted to allow these communities to register online before the general population, offering early access to the Dr. B waitlist. As a result, more at-risk individuals could potentially find a vaccine during a time of shortage. The popularity of Dr. B quickly grew, with approximately 2.5 million people registering online throughout the year.
Vaccine providers were quick to join the network, too, with nearly 750 different establishments registering through the site. These clinics were located across 44 states within the United States, with small rural communities and high-population areas included.
Building the Vital Connections
Anyone struggling to find covid vaccine appointments was encouraged to register their personal information, including their name, age, pre-existing medical conditions, employment, and contact information. Users were organized by priority, need, and any ongoing health conditions. The Dr. B lists incorporated all local and state mandates for vaccine prerequisites to ensure only qualified candidates received the dose.
Providers registered for Dr. B to update daily totals, including the counts and expiry of the doses available. Using a complex algorithm, eligible candidates were notified of an available dose, often requiring an immediate administration (within 20 minutes of the text message).
The Notification Process
The website notified registered individuals of appointment vacancies through a text message. Qualified candidates would receive the clinic information, along with the appointment time. If participants could attend the appointment, they could confirm through text message. Candidates who were unable to make the appointment time or simply didn’t respond to the notification were placed back in cue, with the vaccine availability going to the next qualified candidate.
Successful Implementation of a Waitlist
As vaccine rollout improved, Dr. B’s website closed the registration process. The campaign was highly successful, sending over one million notifications through the website. When limited quantities strained vaccine availability, the platform connected unvaccinated Americans with surplus doses, keeping them out of the trash whenever possible.
The Start-Up with a Mission
Cyrus Massoumi recognized a hole in the healthcare system during the Covid-19 vaccine rollout. Drawing on his previous experience, Massoumi created an interactive platform to fill the void in the distribution of vaccines and minimize losses. When the vaccine became readily available, Dr. B closed the registration process. As the country continues to push forward into a new phase of the pandemic, Dr. B hopes to apply its model to other healthcare challenges.
The pandemic highlights vast medical discrepancies and concerns for vulnerable communities within the United States. Looking at unequal distribution, Americans can see social and economic influences intersecting with healthcare. While Dr. B was a startup, their impact did not go unnoticed, highlighting an efficient, real-time solution to an otherwise broken system.
