David Perry is used to sealing the deal, selling luxury apartments in the city.

With the exception of a few months when the city was the epicenter of the coronavirus, he’s been working through the pandemic in person in real estate. He wishes he were eligible for the coronavirus vaccine.

What You Need To Know

  • NYC-based entrepreneur Cyrus Massoumi started Dr. B a few months ago

  • Dr. B is a site that connects people to COVID-19 vaccine doses before they expire nationwide

  • People can enter their information for free and when a vaccine dose becomes available a text message is sent to them.  The text must be responded to in 15 minutes for the person to claim the vaccine
  • David Perry, a real esate broker, signed up in hopes of getting the vaccine before May 1

"I'm out there with everybody, meeting new people every day, going into buildings, going into elevators and touching things so I feel it would be a good idea to try to get the shot as soon as possible," Perry said, a licensed real estate broker with Brown Harris Stevens.

He decided to sign up for Dr. B., a national website that connects people who need the COVID-19 vaccine with vaccine providers that have leftover doses.

The purpose is to make sure doses are used before they expire, and to distribute them equitably. Local entrepreneur Cyrus Massoumi created the site.

"Across the country, patients are no-showing on their vaccine appointments 20-30% of the time," Massoumi said.

People registering with the site receive text messages when a dose is available nearby. They have 15 minutes to respond, or the dose goes to someone else. Massoumi named the site in honor his grandfather, who was known as Doctor Bubba and practiced medicine during the 1918 flu pandemic.

"Being a physician was not in the cards for me, but what I can do is help people help people," Massoumi said.

As soon as a vaccine provider has an available dose they indicate how many doses they have and when they expire and Dr. B automatically text messages the appropriate amount of people until every single dose is claimed.

The site sends out the texts based on local rules determining who is eligible for a shot, and keeps sending the texts until every extra dose is claimed.

As of now, Perry will be eligible for the vaccine on May 1. That's when President Biden says everyone who is at least 18 years old can register for a shot. But the Dr. B site gives Perry a shot at getting the shot before then.

"I wanted to get the vaccine as soon as possible, but I don't want to take anything away from people who really need it so if I can get the extra vaccine that is left over and I won't be cutting someone off who really needs it and I'll get it early," Perry said.

So Perry waits for a vaccination, or a text entitling him to one.

For more information head to hidrb.com.