Having trouble scoring a COVID-19 vaccine appointment? You’re not alone. To cope, some people are turning to bots that scan overwhelmed websites and send alerts on social media when slots open up.
They've provided relief to families helping older relatives find scarce appointments. But not all public health officials think they're a good idea.
In rural Buckland, Massachusetts, two hours west of Boston, a vaccine clinic canceled a day of appointments after learning that out-of-towners scooped up almost all of them in minutes thanks to a Twitter alert.
In parts of New Jersey, health officials added steps to block bots, which they say favor the tech-savvy. WHAT IS A VACCINE BOT?