Track The Flu With Your iPhone

Apple iPhone users can now get updates on flu viruses nearby with the touch of a button.

A new App has become available for iPhone owners to check updates on any flu outbreaks near them with “Outbreaks Near Me”.

Researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston have come together with Media Lab of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to provide the application for those concerned of catching the flu.

Google.org helps support the development of the application and enables users to report or track any type of infectious disease outbreak in real time.

The application is free and is available at Apple’s iTunes App Store.

The iPhone users can set alerts either by their email or iPhone when there is a new outbreak near their location.

In a press release Children’s Hospital Boston stated that this application can pinpoint outbreaks that are in the vicinity of the user and it allows them to search for additional information by disease or location.

HealthMap is a program that is associated with the “Outbreaks Near Me” application. The program is an online source that filters, maps, collects information on infectious diseases.

John Brownstein the co-founder of HealthMap said “We hope individuals will find the new app to be a useful source of outbreak information locally, nationally, and globally.” He went on to add “As people are equipped with more knowledge and awareness of infectious disease, the hope is that they will become more involved and proactive about public health.”

Most young people with the iPhone will probably not use this application, but most likely the parents will.