The feature will roll out in the coming weeks, starting in four states: Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Google (GOOGL) said on Monday that searches for “nearby vaccines” have increased fivefold since the start of the year and it is implementing the feature to ensure it “provides locally relevant answers.”
The results, which will also be displayed in search results in designated information boards, include details about the need for an appointment, whether the vaccine is only available to certain groups, and whether there is drive-thru. Google said it was working with “authoritative sources” for the information, including local governments and retail pharmacies. Information on vaccination sites will be disseminated to other states and countries at a later date.
Confusion about the vaccine is rampant, with 60% of Americans saying they don’t know when or where to get it, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The availability of vaccines in the United States has also been problematic, with President Joe Biden urging patience for the deployment to improve soon. He ultimately aims to deliver 100 million doses of the vaccine in his first 100 days in the office.
This is the latest change to 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 population.
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai also said on Monday that the company is giving $ 100 million in advertising grants to the CDC Foundation, the World Health Organization and other nonprofits. to broadcast “critical public health announcements” about 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 efforts. It is the latest conglomerate of companies to help improve vaccine deployment, with Starbucks (SBUX), Amazon (AMZN) and Walmart (WMT) offering similar efforts in recent weeks.
