Facebook is launching new state-specific notifications about COVID-19 vaccine appointments for its news feed, the tech giant said April 12. The effort is designed to connect users to appointments when they're available and not overwhelm healthcare providers by driving demand before they're ready.
When a state opens up COVID-19 vaccine appointments for all adults, Facebook will show users in that state a notification directing them to local health departments and vaccine finders. The company has already rolled out these notifications in states such as Texas, Utah, Mississippi and Alaska
Facebook said it is using the same state-by-state notification strategy it used during the 2020 presidential election, as both voting and COVID-19 vaccine administration are managed by state and local authorities.
Since February, the tech giant has been issuing news feed notifications that connect users 65 and older to health departments so they can schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments. West Virginia’s Department of Health and Human Resources reported that registrations increased significantly after Facebook began issuing the notifications.
Facebook is also expanding access to local alerts, a tool that lets first responders and local governments communicate urgent information and COVID-19 updates to local Facebook users. It is allowing more public health agencies, municipal governments and state and local emergency response organizations to use the tool.