Google to fund full COVID-19 vaccination of 250,000 people in developing countries.
Google announced today that it will fund the full COVID-19 vaccination of 250,000 people in developing countries as part of the company’s effort to make the immunization process more equitable around the world.
Also, the Californian firm will contribute financially to the establishment of more vaccination sites in the United States and will donate $250 million worth of advertising space and resources to inform the public about vaccines.
The head of Google Health, Karen DeSalvo, explained that the company is aware that its future is closely linked to that of society and that it is uniquely positioned in the market and in the technology industry to help with this type of initiative.
He also recalled that it could be several years before some countries achieve the necessary vaccines for their entire population.
Funding for ‘low- and middle-income countries will be provided through participation in a program of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization (WHO).
In parallel, the company will launch a campaign to encourage its employees to donate money to the cause, and both Google and Gavi will match each donation so that its value will be tripled.
Thus, if an employee donates, for example, $100, Google will put in another $100 and Gavi another $100, bringing the total donation to $300.
Regarding the creation of new vaccination points in the US, Google will give 2.5 million dollars to non-profit organizations dedicated to this purpose in rural areas as well as in those with a large presence of Hispanics and African-Americans.
In this sense, the company headed by Sundar Pichai regretted that the black and Hispanic communities in the US have lower vaccination rates than the rest of the population.
Also, the Californian company will reserve 250 million dollars worth of advertising space in its products so that governments and public health organizations around the world can send their messages about the vaccination campaign free of charge to the population.
