While most people currently receiving COVID-19 vaccines in this state are 65 or older, a 21-year-old University of Maryland computer science major is using his expertise as a website developer to help older Marylanders secure vaccine appointments.
Mathew Steininger, a Reisterstown native and Beth Israel congregant, recently created Mdvax.info, a website that provides real-time information about vaccine availability and appointments at 16 different clinics around the state.
Users can also keep up with the latest vaccination news by following (@MDVaxAlerts) on Twitter and turning on their Twitter post notifications.
“In the beginning of February, I read a bunch of articles saying that people trying to make vaccine appointments had to spend all day refreshing [vaccine providers’] webpages to see if vaccines were available,” says Steininger. “I knew I had the expertise to help out.”
He said Mdvax.info was “pretty simple” to design because it was similar to another website created by Steininger during his senior year of high school at the George Washington Carver Center for Arts and Technology and in the beginning of his freshman year at College Park. That website used similar technology to update users about the availability of limited-edition sneakers and clothing. For his work on that website, Steininger was a finalist in UMD’s 2019 Pitch Dingman Competition for business enterprise.
Steininger, who plans to earn a master’s degree in finance after he graduates college, said he was able to create a “bare bones” version of Mdvax.info in just a weekend.
Despite the website’s utility, Steininger warned users that he cannot control what he calls “false positives.” In other words, he cannot do anything about the fact that some providers’ websites have unreliable information.
“There are times when the clinics’ websites say vaccines are available, but they really aren’t,” he said.
In addition to helping Marylanders get their vaccines, Steininger is also using his website to raise money for some of the causes he supports. Those who wish to show their gratitude for the website can make donations to umttr, a suicide prevention organization based in Montgomery County; the Judy Fund of the Alzheimer’s Association, Steininger’s fraternity’s chosen philanthropy; and Geeks Rule, an organization that provides STEM education for youth in underserved communities.
Steininger said he has been gratified to receive many messages from appreciative Mdvax.info users.
“It’s nice to see your work being impactful,” he said. “I like to feel that I’m contributing, by helping people to get vaccinated. The pandemic has been a pretty tough time for a lot of people.”
For information, visit Mdvax.info or follow Mdvax.info on Twitter at @MDVaxAlerts.
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