Staff Correspondent: Dhaka, Jul-28,

 Facebook, in collaboration with the Health Ministry and ICT Division has launched 'Vaccine Finder, a new tool to help Bangladeshis confirm their eligibility and identify nearby places to get a shot in their arm.

This initiative is actually a part of the US-headquartered social networking website's holistic approach to raise awareness about hygiene measures, help people access Covid-related information, and support the vaccine roll-out in the country.

Vaccine Finder connects people to local resources through their news feed and includes eligibility criteria as well as the location of the nearby vaccination center and links to register for an appointment, a release said.

The tool can be found on Facebook's online Covid-19 Information Center, which is also available in Bangla.

In Bangladesh, Facebook sends news feed notifications directing people to register for the vaccine on the government’s website www.surokkha.gov.bd. It also helps people easily access www.corona.gov.bd for the latest government directives.

Earlier this year, a public education campaign (www.fightcovidmisinfo.com) was launched to help Bangladeshis identify and combat false information related to the deadly coronavirus.

Facebook has been working with partners in Bangladesh and around the world to increase health awareness and connect people to the latest information from health experts during the pandemic.

So far, 11 million Bangladeshis have signed up using the platform’s 'Blood Donations' feature to play a role in reducing critical blood shortages in the country.

End/Dct/Sai/Mos/