Sept. 21, 2009 The Website flu.gov is
becoming an increasingly helpful source of information on the flu for
U.S. citizens. The Health and Human Services site has made new additions
aimed at making this the one stop for flu information, seasonal and
H1N1 flu.
The HHS Interagency Public Affairs Group on
Influenza Preparedness and Response, is responsible for coordinating
pandemic-related information across the federal government and is
providing information for flu.gov from throughout the federal
government.
The goal of the site is to provide comprehensive
government-wide information on pandemic influenza and avian influenza
for the general public, health and emergency preparedness professionals,
policy makers, government and business leaders, school systems, and
local communities.
Some new Flu.gov features include:
► Ask the Expert: People are invited to submit
their flu-related questions to be answered by the experts at CDC. A
new, timely question and answer is selected for posting each day.
► Mapping: We have created a robust, interactive
map in partnership with Harvard Childrens Hospital which gives people
access to location-specific information including:
► State Resources (mirrors content on state
pages)
● State Hotline (where available)
● Flu Clinic Locators (where available)
● Resources for individuals, families and
professionals
● Links to state pages on flu.gov
► State News Monitor
● Aggregation of Web News on H1H1 and
seasonal flu compiled by HealthMap
► State News (RSS)
● RSS feed from any states Public Health
Dept. that has a feed and then filtered for flu information w link to
subscribe.
► Twitter
● RSS feed from any states Public Health
Dept. that has a Twitter feed. Filtered for flu information and link to
subscribe.
Many Seniors Have Antibodies
Against H1N1 (Swine) Flu
Unlike
the seasonal flu virus, adults older than 64 do not yet appear
to be at increased risk of H1N1 (Swine) flu-related
complications.
CDC laboratory
studies have shown that about one-third of adults older than 60
may have antibodies against this virus. It is unknown how much
protection may be afforded against H1N1 (Swine) flu by an
existing antibody.
► YouTube
● YouTube from any states Public Health
Dept. that has a YouTube channel.
► CDC Monitoring Data Section
► State Level Data - Influenza Activity
► Regional Level Data - Influenza-like Illness
Visits, Influenza Lab Tests, and H1N1 Lab Tests
Note: All of data elements above display for the
most recent reporting cycle but it is possible to go back and see
activity (via a dropdown) to past reporting periods.
The help page has information about the map data
and how to use and navigate
► Vaccine Locator: People can find where to get
a seasonal flu vaccination where they live.
► Content Organization: Several rounds of
usability testing were used to create intuitive user friendly navigation
for the site to help people quickly and easily access information they
are seeking. Content for general public was reorganized and rewritten to
be easily understood and readily accessible in a Web format. Pages can
be quickly scanned to speed people directly to the info they need.
► The Flu Blog: A Flu Blog area on the homepage
will carry special emphasis topics on flu information.
► Video Library: The Video Library brings
together in one place news briefings, informational videos, Webinar and
public service announcements
