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WINSTON-SALEM — Novant Health has announced an online COVID-19 vaccine virtual assistant tool that will allow the community to directly access vaccine resources or ask vaccine-related questions. The tool will utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to seamlessly provide information about the COVID-19 vaccine.

“Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Novant Health has utilized technology to ensure we disseminate accurate information in a timely manner,” said Angela Yochem, executive vice president and chief transformation and digital officer, Novant Health. “Early in the pandemic, we implemented an interactive COVID-19 assessment tool to help patients determine if they should seek care. With this new vaccine tool, we are able to utilize artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide our communities 24/7 access to resources and answers to commonly asked questions related to the COVID-19 vaccine.”

The vaccine tool follows the self-guided assessment Novant Health launched at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The assessment uses Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocols and asks a series of screening questions to determine if a patient should seek care for COVID-19. This assessment is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be used if patients are experiencing a life-threatening emergency.

Following the arrival of multiple ultracold freezers, extensive training of its team members and a successful day of mock distribution and administration, Novant Health inoculated its first front-line health care workers using the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. While vaccine distribution continues, the community is still encouraged to wear a mask, social distance and wash their hands.

For more information on COVID-19, go to NovantHealth.org/coronavirus.