The state health department said Friday it has switched to the map run by Vaccines.gov as the main tool for helping Pennsylvanians find COVID-19 vaccine.
The department said the Vaccines.gov map will enable people to find the closest location for getting vaccinated and also enable them to pinpoint local providers who have supplies of specific vaccine brands, which include Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.
Acting Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson said in a news release, “We recognize that it is critical for us to meet people where they are and ensure getting vaccinated is a quick process.”
Vaccines.gov, known as “Vaccine Finder,” is free and was developed by Boston Children’s Hospital and the U.S. government.
It’s also integrated with major online platforms including Google Map, Facebook and Apple maps. For example, people can find local vaccine providers by selecting COVID-19 vaccines in the Find Nearby menu of Apple maps, or by asking Siri to find COVID-19 vaccine, according to the health department.
“Our goal is to make it quick and easy for people to get vaccinated and to help overcome any hesitancy,” Acting state health secretary Alison Beam said in a news release. “We know that some people may be looking for a certain brand of vaccine or want to know which locations have vaccine in stock. This transition provides the best information to Pennsylvanians who want to get vaccinated as we work to reach at least 70 percent of adults vaccinated.”
Pennsylvania has seen a steep drop off in the number of people seeking first doses of COVID-19 vaccine. Many vaccine providers now have abundant supplies and offer walk-in vaccinations and same-day appointments.
“We are working with local county leaders, influencers, medical professionals, and trusted messengers to ensure that our efforts represent the diversity of our communities as well as to provide the hyper-local approach to addressing anyone’s concerns about the vaccine,” Johnson said in the news release.