Salesforce.com adapts its software for pandemic vaccine distribution

[SAN FRANCISCO] Salesforce.com on Wednesday said it has adapted some of its business software to help healthcare organisations and government entities distribute vaccines for the novel coronavirus once they become available.

The San Francisco-based company said the offering, called Work.com for Vaccines, will help cities, states and health-care groups track vaccine inventory levels, create online appointment portals and track how patients fare after being vaccinated.

Multiple companies and nations around the world are racing to develop a vaccine to provide some degree of immunity to the coronavirus, which causes the disease Covid-19. The chief executive of GlaxoSmithKline, the world's largest maker of vaccines, on Tuesday said she was optimistic the industry will be able to make vaccine widely available next year.

Salesforce.com's efforts build on tools rolled out in May aimed at modifying the company's business software to help governments make re-opening decisions based on public health data and carry out contact tracing and other tasks related to the pandemic.

The company said pricing of the new tools will be "based upon the unique requirements of each public agency or private healthcare organisation".

REUTERS