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Want a Covid-19 Shot? Get on Eventbrite.
The complicated tech of vaccine appointments
As counties across the United States roll out their Covid-19 vaccination programs, many are turning to a grab bag of improvised technologies to register residents, schedule appointments, and allocate doses. These range from traditional phone trees to creaky and outdated internal systems to Google Forms to the consumer ticketing website Eventbrite. This piecemeal approach has led to frustration among those seeking vaccines, created thorny access issues, and revealed concerns about data privacy and scams. With the United States beginning to vaccinate those 65 and older this week, the problems will only get worse.
Earlier this month, thousands of Floridians found themselves in the bizarre position of registering for a potentially lifesaving medical treatment using Eventbrite, a website that usually sells concert tickets. As Vice reports, Florida’s Collier, Brevard, Manatee, Monroe, Volusia, Pasco, Sarasota, and Seminole counties used or are currently using the platform to allocate vaccines to seniors and health care workers. Others are likely to follow. The counties reportedly turned to the site after their phone lines were overwhelmed by people calling to make vaccine appointments. Two of my own relatives in Florida spent eight hours repeatedly calling multiple phone numbers…
