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Find a Flu Shot Near You With Google Maps

by Terrence O'Brien on November 13, 2009 at 11:05 AM

Find a Flu Shot Near You With Google Maps
Having conquered general Web searches, e-mail, video, and advertising, Google is now trying to become a one-stop repository for all your flu information needs. You can already look up information about general flu trends, and track outbreaks of the swine flu, so it only makes sense that the next step would pertain to prevention. Google has partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, pharmacy chains, and various state and local agencies to map out where you can get vaccinations for both the seasonal flu and H1N1.

The Flu Shot Finder isn't comprehensive, as Google is still collecting data from many localities. But even in its current state, the tool is a great help for finding where you can get yourself inoculated. After searching by address or ZIP code, you can click on any result to find the location's hours of operation and to see whether or not it currently has the vaccine in stock.

Product Manager, Roni Zeiger, M.D., said in the Google blog that "given slower than expected vaccine production... it's important to bring together flu shot information in a coherent manner." The tool won't be exclusive to a special Google site, though, as it will soon be embedded at Flu.gov and the American Lung Association's site.

While the swine flu outbreak tracker map was great for identifying areas you'd want to avoid, the Flu Shot Finder provides a much more valuable service; it might actually reduce outbreaks, rendering the former site (hopefully) pointless. [From: Google.org, ReadWriteWeb, and Brand X]

Tags: flu, Flu shot, flu shot finder, FluShot, FluShotFinder, google maps, GoogleMaps, H1N1, health, swine flu, SwineFlu, top, vaccine

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