With flu vaccines in short supply, Google is stepping up to help
people find places to get immunized by launching a flu shot finder
application for Google Maps.
Flu Shot Finder is at www.google.com/flushot, and it works
similarly to any other Google Maps application. Enter your address,
press the ‘Go’ button, and the application lays out
icons on a map showing where to find flu shots in your area. The
icons are shaped like hypodermic needles and color-coded: Red for
seasonal flu shots, blue for H1N1 shots, and two-tone for both.
The tool is available on the American Lung Association website, as
well as www.flu.gov, which is run by the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services.
"Especially given slower than expected vaccine production, we think
it's important to bring together flu shot information in a coherent
manner," Google said on its official blog. "We've been working with
HHS, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and
state and local health agencies to gather information on flu
vaccine locations across the country, particularly for the H1N1 flu
vaccine (both the nasal-spray vaccine and the shot). At the moment
we have data for locations of flu vaccine directly from 20 states
and counting. We are also continuing to add information from chain
pharmacies and other providers in all 50 states; today, you'll find
results from chains such as Walgreens, CVS, and PDX participants,
such as Kmart, Duane Reade, WinnDixie, and Giant Eagle."
People should call flu vaccine providers ahead of time to make sure
that the vaccines are available, and that they're eligible to
receive the shots, Google said.
Google is aggressively moving into the healthcare market. It's a
business they were in without even trying; health is a top search
topic, often, unfortunately, leading to misleading results. But
Google is doing more than generic search; its Google Health
business unit allows people to store their own and families'
medical records, and receive personalized information and advice.
Partners include Allscripts, the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical
Center, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Longs Drugs, and
Walgreens. Rival Microsoft has its own similar, competing service,
HealthVault.
Google Flu Trends tracks the spread of flu by tracking the
locations where people are searching for information about it,
figuring that if people are searching for information about the
flu, they or people close to them probably have it. It's now
available in 20 countries and 38 languages, including the United
States and England.