The feature will be rolling out in the coming weeks, starting in four states: Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Google (GOOGL) announced on Monday that the number of searches for “vaccines near me” has increased fivefold since the beginning of the year and is implementing this feature to ensure it provides “locally relevant answers”.
The results, which are also shown in search results in designated information panels, include details about whether an appointment is required, whether the vaccine is only available to certain groups and whether there is a drive-thru. Google said it is working with “authoritative sources” for the information, including local governments and pharmacies. Information on vaccine sites will later be rolled out to other states and countries.
According to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation, there is confusion about the vaccine: 60% of Americans say they don’t know when and where to get it. The availability of vaccines in the United States has also been problematic, with President Joe Biden insisting to be patient that the rollout will improve soon. He ultimately aims to deliver 100 million doses of the vaccine in his first 100 days at the office.
It is the latest change in Google Maps regarding the pandemic. In September, the Maps app began showing seven-day averages of new Covid-19 cases per 100,000 people.
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, also said on Monday that the company is donating $ 100 million in ad subsidies to the CDC Foundation, the World Health Organization and other nonprofits to make “ critical public service health announcements ” about the virus. “We recognize that getting vaccines to humans is a complex problem to solve, and we are determined to do our part,” he said.
Certain areas of Google facilities, including parking lots and open spaces, in California, New York and Washington will also be opened for vaccination efforts and administration. It is the latest business conglomerate to help improve vaccine uptake Starbucks (SBUX), Amazon (AMZN) and Walmart (WMT) offering similar efforts in recent weeks.
