Facebook to roll out new finder tool in India, users can register for Covid 19 vaccine within the app

Facebook has partnered with the Government of India to roll out a new feature that will help users find vaccines from within the app. The new vaccine finder tool will be available in 17 languages and will give users information on vaccine centre locations and their hours of operation. The tool can be accessed in the COVID 19 information center. The tool will also show walk-in options for people above 46 years of age.

With an ever-increasing rise in Covid cases in the country, the government of India commenced the vaccination drive for people between 18 to 44 years of age. While anybody in this age group can register for the Covid 19 vaccine using the Aarogya Setu app or directly on the Co-WIN website, Facebook users can also register on the platform through a link to register on the CoWin website and schedule their vaccination appointment. In the vaccine finder tool, vaccine centre locations and their hours of operation have been provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.

"Partnering with the Government of India, Facebook will begin rolling out its Vaccine Finder tool on the Facebook mobile app in India available in 17 languages to help people identify places nearby to get the vaccine," Facebook said in a post on its platform.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced a $10 million grant for emergency response efforts in light of the COVID-19 situation in the country. Facebook is also partnering with organisations like United Way, Swasth, Hemkunt Foundation, I Am Gurgaon, Project Mumbai, and US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) to deploy funds to help augment critical medical supplies with over 5000+ oxygen concentrators and other life-saving equipments like ventilators, BiPAP machines and to increase hospital bed capacity.

Further, Facebook will provide health resources to people from UNICEF India guiding users about when to seek emergency care and how to manage mild COVID symptoms at home. This information is available on Facebook's COVIS 19 information centre and on the feed. Instagram users can also get this information through Guides in the Explore section.

Earlier this week, Facebook-owned WhatsApp added a feature to WhatsApp's MyGov Corona Helpdesk chatbot using which people can find the Covid-19 vaccination centre nearest to them. The messaging app will make use of a chatbot for the same, developed in collaboration with several health partners that will operate this, and some more of such helplines.