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Facebook, a haven for anti-vaxxers, wants to help you get the COVID-19 vaccine

No, really, you didn’t read that wrong.

facebook logo on smartphone screen
Image: Unsplash

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Having trouble finding authoritative information on the COVID-19 vaccine and where to get it? Maybe Facebook can help, with a new tool created in partnership with Boston Children’s Hospital.

Users in the US can go check it out at www.facebook.com/coronavirus_info. The new tool for finding vaccine sites only seems to work inside the app at present.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Info Center will show things like hours of operation for vaccine dispensing locations, including links to get appointments and contact info. That will still require for you to be eligible depending on what stage your home state is at, but it’s a valuable resource in the fight against the pandemic.

facebook covid-19 information center screenshots showing how to find a vaccination center
Image: KnowTechie

The real question is: why did it take a year for this to arrive? Facebook was still allowing people to run anti-vax adverts less than half a year ago, and it took until February of this year for them to include anti-vax information for non-coronavirus vaccines to their rules for post removal. Are we to believe that Facebook now wants to be the home of accurate, authoritative information in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, or is this a PR exercise to stop the erosion of trust in the brand?

If you’re part of the growing number of users that don’t trust Facebook and its policies anymore, you don’t have to use its website to find your vaccine. The tool Facebook created is built on top of an existing tool, found at VaccineFounder.org. That was developed by the CDC, Harvard Medical School, and Boston Children’s Hospital, all reputable, medical institutions with fact-based information policies.

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.

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