About
FindAShot was established in response to its founder’s struggle to find vaccine appointments for his elderly parents. The project became a vital resource during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating an automated appointment checker that covered up to 25,000 pharmacy locations in the United States. Empowered with Bright Data’s state-of-the-art web data platform, FindAShot functioned as a streamlined tool to help people across the country access and schedule vaccination appointments.
Challenge
The initial challenge for FindAShot was the integration and collection of data from specific pharmacies, further complicated by preventative measures that obstructed access to legitimate appointment checkers. The founder, David Newell, sought assistance from The Bright Initiative, to leverage its robust network and technology to securely and efficiently collect up-to-date appointment information.
Impact
FindAShot’s project greatly impacted the nation’s vaccination campaign and the use of Bright Data’s technology quickly maximized efficiency and significantly reduced operational costs. Millions were able to find appointments with ease, highlighting the transformative role of public web data and technology collaboration in addressing pressing public health challenges. The success of FindAShot serves as an inspiring example of innovation and compassion, reflecting the potential to replicate this methodology in other countries and healthcare scenarios.
The Bright Initiative helped us scale our ability to perform automated online data
David Newell, Founder of FindAShot.org
collection. In most cases, pharmacies put in place preventive measures to stop
‘bad actors’ from accessing their sites. However, these measures also blocked
our good traffic; we were simply trying to help people find appointments. The
Bright Initiative helped us resolve and reach the appointment checkers.
NPR: CDC Launches Web Tool To Help Americans Find COVID-19 Vaccines
