San Francisco-based Salesforce has officially launched its “Vaccine Cloud,” a technology package designed to help manage the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines. The technology “will help government agencies, healthcare organizations, businesses, nonprofits and educational institutions more rapidly, safely and efficiently deploy and manage their vaccine programs,” the company said in a news release.
The announcement comes as companies and various levels of government grapple with the challenge of distributing, delivering and tracking the outcomes of vaccine programs. Last week, CVS and Walgreens got caught in the crossfire over who is responsible for some ongoing delays.
In the release, Salesforce said international, federal, state and local agencies, healthcare providers and nonprofits are now using its technology specifically for vaccine administration. The company pointed to Northwell Health in Illinois, the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.
Salesforce said that “many government agencies and healthcare organizations don’t have the technology infrastructure in place to handle the complexity, speed and scale necessary for vaccine administration — such as inventory and logistics management, getting people registered and scheduled for their vaccines, and recipient outreach and vaccine outcome monitoring.”
The cloud-based software company is pitching its products as providing solutions to some of these challenges. It said private sector companies could benefit as well from its products.
“The biggest challenge the world faces right now is orchestrating the distribution of billions of vaccine doses. Technology can play a critical role in ensuring it’s done efficiently, effectively, and equitably,” said Bret Taylor, president and chief operating officer of Salesforce.
Jefferson McMillan-Wilhoit, director of health and technology of the Lake County Health Department in Illinois, said the Salesforce system allows “us to shield our community and employees from some of the difficult logistical pieces of the vaccination process to focus and execute on our core mission — promoting the health and well-being of all who live, work, and play in Lake County.”
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