TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A new website is helping people of all ages find leftover doses of the COVID-19 vaccine in their state.
Brad Johnson said he helped found VaccineHunter.org to stop spare vaccine doses from ending up in the trash.
As Johnson explains, doses have to be stored, frozen, thawed out and used by the time the vaccine reaches the right temperature. Many sites will end up with excess doses at the end of the day. The doses must be used, or they cannot be administered.
Johnnson told 8 On Your side he knew the “roll out of the vaccine would be bumpy,” so he wanted to do something to stop doses from going to waste.
“You can go to the website, select your state and find a group for your region. Then go to that online community and, essentially, it’s an online bulletin board where people can share info about vaccine locations that have left over doses,” Johnson explained.
Johnson, a Tulane University medical and public health student, said he’s in disbelief at the website’s popularity and the success stories he has heard.
“Random people message me and say ‘thank you for doing this, you’re saving lives,” he said.
Johnson said he hopes one day, very soon, there won’t be a need for the website.
