The feature will launch in the coming weeks, starting in four states: Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Google (GOOGL) announced on Monday that searches for “vaccines near me” have increased fivefold since the beginning of the year and is implementing this feature to ensure it is “providing locally relevant responses”.
The results, which will also be shown in the search results on designated information panels, include details on whether consultation is needed, whether the vaccine is available only to certain groups and whether there is a drive-through. Google said it is working with “trusted sources” of information, including local governments and retail pharmacies. Information on vaccine locations will be distributed in other states and countries later.
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 the vaccine in the United States has also been problematic, with President Joe Biden asking for patience so that the launch can be improved soon. Ultimately, he plans to deliver 100 million doses of the vaccine in his first 100 days at the office.
It is the latest change in Google Maps in relation to the pandemic. In September, the Maps app started showing seven-day averages of new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people.
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai also said on Monday that the company is donating $ 100 million in advertising to the CDC Foundation, the World Health Organization and other nonprofits to serve “critical ads. public health care “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.
Certain 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 corporate conglomerate to help improve vaccine implantation, with Starbucks (SBUX), Amazon (AMZN) and Walmart (WMT) offering similar efforts in recent weeks.
