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You can now book a COVID-19 vaccine through Uber

You'll also be able to reserve a rental car and have a valet drop it off.

Uber

Uber and Walgreens have been working together on a COVID-19 vaccination program for several months, and the latest step in their partnership should make it easier for you to get the vaccine. You can reserve a vaccination and book a ride to the clinic at the same time in the Uber app.

You'll be able to select a time for your appointment and see which vaccine you'll receive. Uber says the vaccination booking feature is available throughout the US starting today.

Walgreens and Uber teamed up earlier this year to offer free rides to appointments, particularly for those in socially vulnerable areas. Uber promised to provide 10 million discounted or free rides in December. The companies also partnered with PayPal and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation to create a Vaccine Access Fund. Anyone can donate and fund more free rides to appointments for people who need them.

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Uber announced the vaccine reservation tool as part of an event called Go Get, which was centered around having more options to go places and get things as we slowly return to normal life. Among the updates Uber announced was Uber Rent, a way to book a rental car in the app. It's now available across the US.

To make renting a car even easier, there's a valet option that will prompt a driver to bring the vehicle to you and collect it when you're done. Valet will initially be available in Washington D.C. next month and it'll expand nationwide later.

Elsewhere, you'll be able to reserve rides at some airports up to 30 days in advance with flight tracking, up to 60 minutes of wait time and curbside pickup. The company plans to expand its by-the-hour ride service to thousands more cities across a number of regions this summer too.

The Pickup and Go feature allows you to place an order for pickup from restaurants and merchants that are close to your destination, so you can quickly stop and collect food and other items. In addition, you'll at last be able to pre-order items for delivery when a store or restaurant is closed.

Later this spring, Uber will roll out an option to order from two merchants close to each other without having to pay a delivery fee for both. That'll be useful when you and your partner want to order from different restaurants on date night. On the way next month is a Savings Hub that brings together all eligible deals and discounts, as well as restaurant loyalty programs. Also starting in May, Eats Pass members will receive 10 percent off their first three rides each month, on top of their existing perks.