Facebook prepares to disseminate COVID-19 vaccine information

As several countries around the world are beginning the initial phases of the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, Facebook shares info on plans to tackle fake news and share authoritative information.

Consultation with health organizations, partnering with authorities, expansion of the criteria in the removal of false claims, branching out COVID-19 vaccine information, are a few of the developments by Facebook.

Vaccination Information

Staring with the US, COVID-19 Information Center will now feature links from local health ministry websites, where users can check their eligibility of getting vaccinated, and when and where they would be able to do so.

The feature would be out this week in the US and will be expanded and information from more countries becomes available.

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Information Dissemination

Facebook is working with various organizations and providing training to execute campaigns distributing credible information about COVID-19 vaccination programs. The platform is also giving ad credits to health ministries, NGOs, and UN agencies.

COVID-19 Information Center will be launched on Instagram. Health authorities and organizations can create helplines on WhatsApp to share vaccine availability and information.

The platform says it would also amplify evidence and science-based content in communities where vaccine interest, intent, and access would be lower.

Tackling Fake News

After consultations with WHO and other health organizations, Facebook is expanding the list of false claims that will be removed to include additional debunked claims about COVID-19 and vaccines.

Claims such as "Claims that COVID-19 government social distancing orders are a means of installing 5G wireless communication technology infrastructure or that the symptoms of COVID-19 are actually a result of 5G wireless technologies", and more would be removed.