Apple Maps Now Shows COVID-19 Vaccination Centres in the US

Apple Maps will now show COVID-19 vaccination locations, but the feature is currently limited to users in the US. The company states that information about vaccination centres and other eligibility details have been curated from VaccineFinder, a site run by Boston Children's Hospital. After updating the native Maps app, iPhone users can search for nearby vaccination sites or ask Siri, “Where can I get a COVID vaccination.” The initial rollout includes more than 20,000 locations, and Apple says it will add more locations in the coming weeks.

Apple Maps will also show contact details of the COVID-19 vaccination centre, as per a screenshot available on its Newsroom. Users can access information such as working hours, address, phone number, and website. Users must note that the new update will not let them book an appointment via the app. Apple says that the update is the latest effort to help users better navigate the pandemic and take the proper steps to protect their health. Apple Maps received an update last year that allowed users to find COVID-19 testing centres. The feature was rolled out in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and the US.

It remains unclear whether the new feature would eventually roll out to Apple Maps’ users in India. Notably, Apple’s competitor Google recently announced that users in India would be able to find accurate vaccine information from its apps such as Google Search, Maps, and Assistant. The tech giant expects to roll out the feature in the coming weeks. It essentially means users can soon find COVID-19 vaccine centres via Google Maps. Notably, the company had also added a special panel such as ‘COVID 19 Info’ on Maps to provide direct information to users. The COVID-19 panel also provides a seven-day trend based on data provided by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

March 18, 2021