To further Coronavirus vaccination efforts in the U.S., tech giant Google has announced a $150 million USD pledge in order to promote greater education and equitable access to vaccination.
$100 million USD will be used in ad grants while the remaining $50 million USD will focus on partnerships with various health agencies. The company will also provide state and region-specific information regarding vaccine searches via its search engines — such as whether you’ll need an appointment or referral — and also list out different vaccination sites on Google Maps. At the same time, Google will also be converting some of its offices across the U.S. into vaccination sites, working alongside One Medical and local public health authorities to set them up in “buildings, parking lots and open spaces.”
“The COVID-19 pandemic has deeply affected every community all over the world,” the company’s CEO Sundar Pichai said in a statement. “It’s also inspired coordination between public and private sectors, and across international borders, on a remarkable scale. We can’t slow down now. Getting vaccines to billions of people won’t be easy, but it’s one of the most important problems we’ll solve in our lifetimes. Google will continue to support in whatever way we can.”