Google Maps
is set to show locations offering COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States, a
move to boost awareness about the inoculation programme.

The feature
will be launched in four states, Arizona, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, in
the coming weeks, according to a CNN report, with Google on Monday confirming
that searches for “vaccines near me” have multiplied five times since the new
year.

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The search
engine giant said it is implementing the feature to ensure it provides “locally
relevant answers”. Results for such queries, which will show up in designated
information panels, will also provide details about whether appointments are
required.

Google said
it is consulting with “authoritative sources” for the information, which
include local governments and retail pharmacies.

The feature
will be launched in other states and countries at a later, unspecified time.

According
to a survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 60% Americans are unaware of
when or where to get the vaccine, underlining the widespread confusion over the
shot. Additionally, the vaccine isn’t available everywhere in the United States
as President Joe Biden urges Americans to be patient and vows to improve the
rollout.

The feature
is the latest addition to Google Maps since the start of the pandemic, with the
app starting to display seven-day averages of new COVID-19 cases per 100,000
people back in September, 2020.

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Sundar
Pichai, Google and Alphabet CEO, on Monday also announced that the company will
donate $100 million in grants to the CDC Foundation, the World Health
Organization and other nonprofits to run “critical public service health
announcements” about the virus.

“We recognise
that getting vaccines to people is a complex problem to solve, and we’re
committed to doing our part,” he said.

A number of
Google facilities in California, New York and Washington will also make certain
parts of their campus open for vaccination efforts and administration. It’s the
latest organisation to lend a hand in the vaccine rollout efforts, after
Starbucks, Amazon and Walmart did so in recent weeks.