Facebook launches Covid-19 vaccine campaign

The advertising credits for credible Covid-19 information will also be made available to governments, UN agencies and non-governmental organisations, as well as training and marketing support.

The social media giant has also said it will provide information through its platforms for where and when people could get vaccinated, similar to the information service Facebook provides during elections.

The information about vaccine availability will be available in the US initially, with aims to expand it to more countries in the coming weeks.

The company is also expanding its efforts to remove false claims about Covid-19 and vaccines from Facebook and Instagram, as well as providing data to inform vaccine delivery and educational efforts to raise trust in vaccinations.

Facebook had already set up a Covid-19 information centre and the company said it had connected more than two billion people from 189 countries to reliable information about the pandemic. The centre will be expanded to Instagram shortly, Facebook said.

Around 12 million items of misinformation have so far been removed from Facebook and Instagram relating to Covid-19.

Facebook has also expanded the list of false claims that will be removed from its platforms, following consultations with the World Health Organisation and other health bodies.

Insights and data on attitudes to vaccines will be made available by Facebook on a regional and national level.

A statement from Facebook said: “In 2021 we’re focused on supporting health leaders and public officials in their work to vaccinate billions of people against Covid-19.

“Building trust and confidence in these vaccines is critical, so we’re launching the largest worldwide campaign to help public health organisations share accurate information about Covid-19 vaccines and encourage people to get vaccinated as vaccines become available to them.”