During last year, as COVID-19 spread around the globe, major tech companies such as Apple, and Google introduced various features to ensure people had access to accurate information about the pandemic. Now, to help speed up the vaccination efforts in 6 countries, Google will now show vaccination centers in Maps and Search.
Many countries around the world are currently experiences their second or third wave of the virus spread, especially in India, where the confirmed cases have crossed well past 2 lakhs per day. The vaccination drive has become a crucial counter-strategy to get the spread back under control.
Last month, Google made it easier for users in India to find information about the various vaccines that are available in the country. Now, in Google Maps and Google Search, users can quickly find the closest vaccination center, which will hopefully encourage them to get vaccinated. The company will also be introducing this feature for users in U.S., Canada, France, Chile and Singapore.
Along with this, Google announced that they will be funding vaccinations for 250,000 people, through a partnership with Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance. They will be funding pop-up vaccine sites in the U.S. and also has dedicated $250 million in Ad Grants to provide people with accurate vaccine information.