New York, March 16: Social media giant Facebook on Monday rolled out a new feature for its app that will allow users to make appointments for COVID-19 vaccines online. Facebook has partnered with Boston Children's Hospital to offer a tool on the social media platform in the US to help people identify places nearby to get the vaccine. The locations in this tool are provided by VaccineFinder.org. The social media giant added informational labels to posts about vaccines, in its efforts. The announcement was made by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Facebook is also expanding its COVID-19 Information Centre to Instagram. COVID-19 Vaccines Doubts Raised by Just 111 Facebook Users Discouraging People From Taking Vital Jab: Report.

The VaccineFinder tool is available on mobile devices. It is located in Facebook's COVID-19 Information Centre. The feature will show the list of places offering the vaccine in the selected area. Zuckerberg, in a blog post, said, "Today we're launching a global campaign to help bring 50 million people a step closer to getting Covid-19 vaccines. We've already connected over 2 billion people to authoritative Covid-19 information. Now that many countries are moving towards vaccinations for all adults, we're working on tools to make it easier for everyone to get vaccinated as well." Facebook to Label Vaccine Posts to Combat COVID-19 Misinfo.

How You Can get Appointment For COVID-19 Vaccination Using Facebook Tool:

  • Open the Facebook app on the phone.

  • Tap the Menu button and select COVID-19 Information Center. You may need to tap the See More button.

  • Users are advised to scroll down and tap on the "Find a COVID-19 Vaccine" section.

  • Tap "Find a Vaccine".

  • Type the city where users want to get vaccinated in the search bar.

  •  A list of options will appear on a map.

  • Tap on "Get Appointment Info" on the next screen. Users will be taken to that specific pharmacy's website, where they can schedule their appointment.

  • Follow the instructions to schedule an appointment.

The toll is supported in 71 languages. Facebook also expanded official WhatsApp chatbots on COVID-19 to get people registered for vaccinations with health authorities and governments. On Monday, the social media giant added informational labels to posts to counter COVID-19-related misinformation flourishing on its platforms.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Mar 16, 2021 09:19 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).