Facebook will tell people where they can get the vaccine

Facebook will begin this week showing its U.S. users information on where and when they can get the Covid-19 vaccine, the company said on Monday.

As part of its Covid-19 clearinghouse, Facebook will direct users to the websites of local health agencies where they can get information about their eligibility to be vaccinated. The functionality will be extended globally in the coming weeks.

The company will also provide $ 120 million in advertising credits to health agencies around the world so they can run campaigns on Covid-19 vaccines.

Additionally, the company said it is working with the World Health Organization to expand its list of false Covid-19-related claims that Facebook will remove from its services. This includes claims that Covid-19 is of human origin, claims that vaccines are not effective, and claims that vaccines can cause autism.

For groups that have previously violated Facebook’s Covid-19 policies, the company will temporarily require administrators to approve all posts by their groups before they are posted. On Instagram, the business will make it harder for people to find accounts that discourage people from getting vaccinated. Facebook and Instagram groups, pages and accounts that repeatedly share debunked claims about Covid-19 can be completely removed, the company said.

Facebook said it is also partnering with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to ensure information about Covid-19 vaccines reaches communities where access to vaccines may be lower. This includes Native American, Black and Latin communities.

The company announced in November that it intends to provide users with authoritative information on Covid-19 vaccines.

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