Google Maps stops showing the locations of the COVID vaccine because of a purported "technical issue

 

Even though the COVID-19 outbreak began five years ago, its impacts are still being seen today. Many people are still seeking vaccinations, despite the fact that those in charge of the US healthcare system have adopted conspiracy theories and pseudoscientific arguments to support a diminished emphasis on vaccines, especially the COVID vaccine. However, Google Maps isn't an excellent way to locate it. Nearly all Google Maps search results for COVID vaccinations have disappeared in recent days.

Both on the website and on the mobile app, Google Maps yields no results for phrases such as "COVID vaccine" or just "vaccines." In several US locations as well as abroad, we have verified and tested this. In certain locations, these searches can yield links to facilities hundreds of kilometers distant but no local results. As this is going on, local findings for less controversial injections like "shingles vaccine" and "flu vaccine" are still coming out. There is no problem with Bing Maps, Apple Maps, and other Google competitors displaying COVID vaccination providers.

The new COVID vaccine was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration under Robert F. Kennedy Jr., although the government only suggests it for adults over 65 and those with underlying medical issues. Because of this, many Americans find it more difficult to obtain booster shots, and the first step is frequently locating a local immunization provider. Google Maps hasn't produced any results for those vaccine-related searches for at least the past week.

When Ars asked Google for an explanation, he got a vague and not quite satisfactory response. According to a Google representative, "displaying accurate information on Maps is a top priority." "We’re working to fix this technical issue."

As of right now, we are not aware of any other Maps searches that have experienced this kind of impact. Further inquiries on the cause of the apparent bug that has removed COVID vaccine information from Maps while still returning results for other medical services and vaccinations have not yet received a response from Google.

Underlying this strange problem is the abrupt erosion of federal support for routine immunizations. Google was highly criticized for its decision to promptly display "Gulf of America" on its maps in accordance with the Trump administration's preferred nomenclature when the administration decided to rename the Gulf of Mexico. One could be tempted to attribute these vanishing outcomes to a similar, sinister goal given the increase in federal anti-vaccine initiatives.