Amazon’s Alexa-enabled devices can now help direct customers to COVID-19 vaccination sites, the company announced today. Users can ask, “Alexa, where can I get a COVID vaccine?” and hear a list of nearby places to get a shot.
After hearing the list, users can also ask Alexa to call a vaccination site, which the company said in a blog post can help them get information about appointment availability. Making COVID-19 vaccine appointments by phone is often easier for older adults or other people who struggle to use online scheduling platforms.
Amazon introduced an Alexa feature that could direct people to COVID-19 testing sites in February.
Every adult in the US is now eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine after every state met President Joe Biden’s deadline to open up access by April 19th. The Biden administration said that 90 percent of people in the US should have a vaccination site within five miles of their home.
Amazon hosted pop-up vaccine clinics in Seattle and is also working with health officials to vaccinate its front-line employees in a number of states.
Over half of US adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
