Apple announced today that Apple Maps has been updated with vaccine locations from VaccineFinder, a site run by Boston Children’s Hospital that provides information on vaccine eligibility and availability. People can search for nearby vaccination sites in Apple Maps or ask Siri, “Where can I get a COVID vaccination?” Over 20,000 locations are now listed, with more to be added in the coming weeks.
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Each vaccine site listing in Apple Maps includes the operating hours and contact information for the site, with a link to the provider’s website to find vaccine availability and make an appointment.
With the new feature, Apple joins a number of other tech companies offering more ways for people to check their eligibility, locate vaccination sites, and get vaccine appointments.
Facebook announced yesterday that it will be adding VaccineFinder information to its COVID Information Center, showing people when and where they can get vaccinated and providing links to make appointments. The COVID Information Center will also be expanding to Instagram, and the company is working on expanding government and health authority WhatsApp chatbots to help people register for vaccines.
Google is also offering more ways to find information about vaccination. The company announced today that people can use Business Messages in Google Maps and Google search to contact local pharmacies owned by Albertsons Companies — including Safeway, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Albertsons, Acme, Shaw’s, and Tom Thumb — with questions about vaccine eligibility, availability, and appointment booking.
The US federal government is set to launch its own vaccine-finding website by May 1st and has said that all adults in the US will be eligible for a vaccine at that time. So far, about 28 percent of adults in the US have received their first vaccine dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
