Boston Rolls Out Flu Shot Monitoring Program

November 21, 2008 11:37 a.m. EST

Boston, MA (AHN) - Boston is creating a vaccination map by listing the names of residents who already had flu shots. To facilitate the task, the city is tapping technology by using a method usually tried for disaster monitoring.

All residents who get inoculated with flu vaccine will receive a bracelet with an ID code that contains data of the person and the shot, which will be logged in a handheld device.

Once a map is drawn up based on the entered data, it would be easier to identify places where many are still vulnerable to the respiratory ailment. It may also prove valuable if more serious health concerns hit the city such as a global flu pandemic or a bioterrorism attack.

Boston is the first U.S. city to use this method in monitoring flu vaccinations. Influenza kills 36,000 people in the U.S. annually, mostly seniors.

The original intent of Boston when it purchased the tracking system was to use it for man-made and natural disasters. The system was tested and found effective at the Boston Marathon and the Fourth on July extravaganza.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts seems to have discovered a method to curb heart attacks through the smoking ban. Since the prohibition on lighting was made in 2004 there were 600 less state residents who have succumbed to the ailment, according to a study made by the state Public Health Department and the Harvard School of Public Health.