Algorithms Match Vaccine Seekers With Soon-to-Be-Wasted Doses
- Founder of ZocDoc creates platform to reallocate extra shots
- Dr. B product has drawn 200 providers, half a million users
The pace of U.S. vaccinations is picking up, with as many as 2.17 million doses being administered a day in the past week.
Photographer: Nic Coury/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
ZocDoc Inc. founder Cyrus Massoumi has been frustrated by the imbalance in U.S. vaccine supply and demand -- with providers tossing out doses they can’t use, even as many people desperately seek shots.
So the former CEO of the doctor appointment-booking company has quietly launched an online platform to match providers with those willing to be on standby for Covid-19 vaccines. More than 200 sites in 30 states are being connected through the platform, called Dr. B, with half a million Americans requesting to be notified when doses become available nearby. And that number continues to grow.