The function will take place in the coming weeks, starting in four states: Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Google (GOOGL) announced Monday that searches for “vaccines near me” have multiplied fivefold since the beginning of the year and is implementing that feature to ensure it “provides locally relevant answers.”
The results, which will also be displayed in the search results on designated information panels, include details on whether an appointment is required, whether the vaccine is only available for certain groups, and whether there is an outlet. Google said it works with “authorized sources” of information, including local governments and retail pharmacies. Information on vaccination sites will be disseminated to other states and countries later.
According to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the confusion about the vaccine is huge and 60% of Americans say they don’t know when or where to get it. Vaccine availability in the United States has also been problematic with President Joe Biden, who has urged patience because the launch will soon improve. Ultimately, it aims to administer 100 million doses of the vaccine in its first 100 days of office.
This is the latest change in Google Maps in relation to the pandemic. In September, the Maps app began showing seven-day averages of new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people.
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai also said Monday that the company is giving $ 100 million in advertising grants to the CDC Foundation, the World Health Organization and other nonprofits to publish “critical ads. Public Service Health “on the virus. “We recognize that getting vaccines to people is a complex problem to solve and we are committed to doing our part,” he said.
Parts of Google’s facilities, including parking lots and open spaces, in California, New York and Washington will also be open for vaccination and administration. It is the latest corporate conglomerate to help improve the deployment of vaccines Starbucks (SBUX), Amazon (AMZN) i Walmart (WMT) offering similar efforts in recent weeks.
