Regina student develops software to help people find closest COVID-19 vaccine

A Regina resident made headlines this week for producing software that’s helping Saskatchewan residents find COVID vaccine appointments and clinics near them.

Brock Lumbard, a software engineering and business student at Western University in London, Ontario, created a program that allows residents to text their postal code to 1-306-517-7062 in order to see where vaccinations are being offered, as well as updated wait times for drive-thru clinics in their area.

Lumbard says he was inspired by two entrepreneurs who created similar software in B.C., Ontario and Alberta.

“I figured it would probably take them a while to get to Saskatchewan, and I really did see a use for the tool,” said Lumbard. “I think a lot of people could use a really simplified method to find the closest vaccine locations, so I decided to go for it.”

While each text normally costs him two cents to produce, Premier Scott Moe tweeted earlier this week the cost of those texts will be waived. Lumbard adds all reviews of the software have been positive so far.

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