Many of you reading this right now are probably eligible to get a COVID-19 vaccine. Suddenly, that is the easy part. I'm even eligible right now based on my BMI. But that's another topic altogether. The hard part is finding an appointment to get your shot. But an Iowa City app developer may have the answer you're looking for. Just head to Twitter.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that earlier this week, Brian Finley created @IAVaccineAlerts on Twitter. The account automatically tweets out available vaccine appointments at Iowa retail pharmacies. Pretty great idea, right? In just a few days, the account has helped thousands find hard to find vaccination appointments across the state.

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The Gazette reports that like many other Iowans with underlying health conditions, he became eligible for the vaccine on Monday. To help track down appointment times at pharmacies, he used his programming skills to create a tool using nationwide vaccine tracking websites. When his tool worked, he decided to open it up to everyone.

There are some critics of the site, including people who point out that the program doesn't help those who don't have proper internet access. It also benefits people who can take off work and drive hundreds of miles to get their shot. Finley says that his ultimate goal is to eventually delete the site, according to the Gazette. That would mean that no one needs help finding a location to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

So follow @IAVaccineAlerts on Twitter, and make sure you turn your Twitter notifications ON. You might just find an appointment near you soon!

 

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