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Google shared that it will be helping with the efforts to speed up the COVID-19 vaccination of the citizens. The company’s CEO Sundar Pichai announced they are teaming up with health care provider, One Medical in opening clinics at designated Google buildings, open spaces, or parking lots.
Google’s pledge to help with vaccine distribution
Aside from this, the tech giant also pledged $150 million to promote vaccine education and equitable access. The $100 million in ad grants are allotted for the CDC Foundation, the World Health Organization, and non-profit organizations worldwide.
It was added that the remaining $50 million will be used as Google partners with public health agencies to be able to reach disadvantaged communities with vaccine-related content and information.
“We recognize that getting vaccines to people is a complex problem to solve, and we’re committed to doing our part,” Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet, wrote in Google’s “Message from the CEO” page on Jan. 25. “Our efforts will focus heavily on equitable access to vaccines.”
The company’s initiatives in easing the pandemic situation
It is not just about the monetary donations, but as mentioned before, Google will also be opening clinics where the public could get their COVID-19 vaccine. Some of the company’s facilities will be used for this plan, and they are aiming to open sites in Washington, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Kirkland. More sites in other states are set to be opened once the vaccines become widely available.
Furthermore, as ABC17 News reported, the company will also modify its Google map to help people find COVID-19 vaccination sites easily. This new feature in the map will start rolling out in the next few weeks. Google will launch this in four states first, including Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arizona.
The idea about the Google map started after the company noticed that searches using the keyword “vaccines near me” have increased five times more since the start of 2021.
Meanwhile, with its announcement of extending a hand to have people vaccinated, Google just joined the growing list of big companies that are offering the same kind of assistance. Amazon, Starbucks, and Microsoft previously stated that they will also help with the distribution of vaccines.
