Thursday, November 12, 2009

Google Helps You Find Flu Shots & Tracks Flu Trends

With the word out today that the swine flu has claimed nearly 4,000 lives in the U.S., the good news is that search giant Google is using its algorithms and technology to assist in the effort to combat the illness.

The company once again has put up its Google Flu Trends Web page to indicate where outbreaks of the flu may be occurring (this link is to the U.S. map, but you can choose other countries). To see how Google Flu Trends works, click on the FAQ or "How does this work?" links.

With shortages of both seasonal and swine flu vaccines around, Google is this year also trying to simplify finding a flu shot with its new Flu Shot Finder at www.google.com/flushot. A page on Google's blog explains how the Flu Shot Finder works.

You can also find the Flu Shot Finder at the U.S. government's flu information Web site, www.flu.gov.

1 comment:

Margaret Kowalski said...
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