WhatsApp Chatbot aims to help aged people get COVID-19 Vaccine

WhatsApp has launched a chatbot aimed at helping speed up the COVID-19 vaccination process for older people in India amid the coronavirus pandemic. The zero-fund volunteer organization, Robin Hood Army, launched the WhatsApp chatbot on Wednesday that connects senior citizens with the volunteers to help with the COVID-19 vaccination process. The WhatsApp chatbot can also be used by people who want to join the organization, share surplus food, or volunteer to help older people with their COVI-19 vaccine.

Senior citizens should send "Hello" to + 91-8971966164 on WhatsApp and then reply to the corresponding message with "3" to find a volunteer to help them with the covid-19 vaccination process. Please note that the Robin Hood Army currently only serves older people living alone.

People can also volunteer for the COVID-19 vaccination campaign or other humanitarian work carried out by the organization by communicating through the chatbot. There is also the option of sharing surplus food with people in need. The chatbot has been developed by the artificial intelligence (AI) company Yellow Messenger.

"We are very excited to launch the #SeniorPatrol campaign on WhatsApp to help senior citizens with their vaccination," said Neel Ghose, Founder, Robin Hood Army, in a statement. "We believe this campaign will particularly break barriers to vaccination among senior citizens, who can now easily seek help through a simple message on WhatsApp."

Robin Hood Army volunteers can be found in 186 cities in 21 states in the country. The #SeniorPatrol campaign was launched amid th extended shutdown to help vulnerable senior citizens get vaccines. It claims to help thousands of seniors in 155 cities register on the CoWIN portal and visit the vaccination centre for their appointments.

"Robin Hood Army has been doing exemplary work, and we are pleased that they rely on WhatsApp to strengthen their volunteer network and take COVID relief efforts to more cities in India," said Abhijit Bose, Head of WhatsApp India.