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Children’s Hospital Informatics Program

Tracking H1N1 in the digital age

by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on September 17, 2009

John Brownstein, PhD, from the Children’s Hospital Informatics Program, talks to NBC Nightly News about the new, free iPhone app called “Outbreaks Near Me,” which tracks disease outbreaks in real time.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

For more information on Flu (seasonal and H1N1) from Children’s Hospital Boston, visit http://www.childrenshospital.org/patientsfamilies/Site1393/mainpageS1393P385.html

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H1N1 (swine flu) weekly highlights: Sept. 9 to 15

by The HealthMap Team on September 16, 2009

Here are this week’s H1N1 updates from the HealthMap team of the Children’s Hospital Informatics Program.

The Galapagos Islands and Mozambique reported their first H1N1 fatalities.

Lesotho and Malawi reported their first confirmed H1N1 cases.

WHO reports 3,200 people have died from H1N1 around the world, and 23 cases of Tamiflu-resistant infection have been documented.

WHO stated that school closures can be useful in controlling H1N1 outbreaks, but only if closures are instituted quickly, ideally before 1 percent of the population falls ill.

Studies indicate that the H1N1 vaccines provide immunity to adults after only one dose, effectively doubling the number of individuals that can be vaccinated with the expected production. Still, vaccine manufacturers expect to sell all of their supply easily. Full story »

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Brownstein Q&A in Boston Globe covers HealthMap, "Outbreaks Near Me"

by Matt Cyr on September 14, 2009

John Brownstein, PhD. Photo by Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff

John Brownstein, PhD, from the Children’s Hospital Informatics Program, was featured in a Boston Globe Q&A today about HealthMap and the new, free iPhone app called “Outbreaks Near Me,” which tracks disease outbreaks in real time.

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H1N1 (swine flu) weekly highlights: September 2 to 8

by The HealthMap Team on September 10, 2009

school Here are this week’s H1N1 updates from the HealthMap team of the Children’s Hospital Informatics Program.

Italy, Macau, Namibia, Norway, and the US Virgin Islands reported their first H1N1 fatalities.
WHO puts the global total of confirmed deaths at 2,837.
The CDC reported an increase in the number of cases in areas where school has resumed, particularly among children in the US Southeast. Colleges and universities were also reporting large numbers of cases. Washington State University reported over 2,000 students with flu-like symptoms.
The CDC reported that more H1N1 deaths have been seen in older children than the very young, and that two-thirds of fatal pediatric cases had underlying medical issues. Full story »

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New HealthMap iPhone app helps you track disease outbreaks in real time

by The HealthMap Team on September 2, 2009

Outbreaks Near Me The HealthMap team is proud to introduce its first mobile phone application, “Outbreaks Near Me,” which provides location-based disease alerting using the GPS of a user’s iPhone.

Open the application and find all health-related events in nearby locations. Search and browse outbreak reports on the interactive map, and set up the app to alert you with a notice automatically whenever an outbreak is occurring in your area. If you see an event of potential public health significance, be the first to report it using the app’s unique outbreak reporting feature. Your find may be featured and credited on the website.

For more information and screenshots, visit the HealthMap’s iPhone site. You can also download the app for free at the iTunes store.

The app has been getting a lot of press coverage, including articles in the Wall Street Journal, Time, ABC News, USA Today and Scientific American.

If you have feedback on the app, we’d love to hear it at info@healthmap.org. And stayed tuned for applications on other devices, included the Google and Blackberry phones.

Sincerely,

The HealthMap Team

While you’re here, check out our latest weekly H1N1 update.

For more information on Flu (seasonal and H1N1) from Children’s Hospital Boston, visit http://www.childrenshospital.org/patientsfamilies/Site1393/mainpageS1393P385.html

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H1N1 (swine flu) weekly highlights: August 21 to 27

by The HealthMap Team on August 28, 2009

vaccinepic Here are this week’s H1N1 updates from the HealthMap team of the Children’s Hospital Informatics Program.

United Arab Emirates, Oman, Northern Ireland, Malta, and Greece reported their first H1N1 fatalities.
Chilean authorities announced that they have detected the H1N1 flu virus in turkeys, marking the first time the virus has been found outside of humans and pigs.
In a new set of guidelines, the WHO stated otherwise healthy people infected with H1N1 do not need antivirals like Tamiflu. This decision should increase availability of the drugs to those who may need them most, as the Northern Hemisphere prepares for a second wave of H1N1 infections. Full story »

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H1N1 (swine flu) weekly highlights: August 14 to 20

by The HealthMap Team on August 21, 2009

This is the second of what will be weekly H1N1 updates from the HealthMap team of the Children’s Hospital Informatics Program.

A new study in the journal Science says vaccinating students should be a priority this year. CHIP researcher John Brownstein, PhD, was quoted this week in an AP story about the study.
This week, World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 1,799 people have died from H1N1 worldwide.
South Korea, Japan, Ghana, Madagascar, Yemen, Malta, New Caledonia (France), Kuwait, and Cook Islands each reported their first H1N1 fatalities. French Polynesia reported its first death, but diagnostic tests performed in France raised questions about the validity of this report.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique and Belarus each reported their first confirmed H1N1 case.
In the United States, federal officials urged businesses to prepare for a resurgence in swine flu. Recommendations included flexible sick leave, cross-training individuals with mission critical tasks, limiting face-to-face meetings and travel and encouraging hand washing. Full story »

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H1N1 (swine flu) weekly highlights: August 7 to 13

by The HealthMap Team on August 14, 2009

For the upcoming influenza season, the team from HealthMap, within the Children’s Hospital Informatics Program, are introducing a weekly summary of H1N1 (swine flu) news highlights. These will be posted on Fridays and will cover the preceding week.