WhatsApp adds Vaccines for All sticker pack in association with WHO

WhatsApp has introduced a new sticker pack called Vaccines for All to encourage its users to get the COVID-19 vaccine and show their appreciation for healthcare workers worldwide. The new sticker pack has been developed in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO). WhatsApp has also partnered with more than 150 national, state and local governments and organizations such as WHO and UNICEF to offer authenticated COVID-19 information and resources to its global users. The COVID-19 helplines created on WhatsApp by different organizations also began to provide information and vaccination records.

The Vaccines for All sticker pack on WhatsApp brings 23 different WHO-designed stickers. It is available for download on both Android and iOS and aims to allow people "to express the joy, relief and hope they feel about the possibilities offered by COVID-19 vaccines." Some of the new pack stickers are also intended to allow WhatsApp users to show their appreciation for healthcare workers.

"As COVID-19 vaccines are being rolled out across the world, the new sticker pack aims to encourage vaccine uptake and represents hope," said Andy Pattison, Team Lead, Digital Channels, WHO, in a prepared statement.

In addition to the new sticker pack, WhatsApp has added COVID-19 helplines from various governments and national, state and local organizations such as WHO and UNICEF since the start of the pandemic. The instant messaging app claimed that more than three billion messages were sent through these global helplines last year.

WhatsApp also noted that countries such as India, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia and South Africa have started using these helplines to connect citizens with accurate COVID-19 vaccine information and registration. In Indonesia, the messaging app said 500,000 medical workers signed up for their vaccination appointments through the helpline service in its first five days.

In India, WhatsApp partnered with MyGov and Reliance-owned AI platform Haptik last year to provide COVID-19 information to Indian citizens through a chatbot called MyGov Corona Helpdesk. The chatbot includes details on COVID-19 vaccines and has passed the 30 million user mark.

Additionally, WhatsApp has removed the fees it requires to allow message delivery through the WhatsApp Business API to help governments and international organizations connect large numbers of people with vaccine information and services.