The 2012-2013 influenza season has been a bad one, with flu reaching epidemic levels in the United States. The data from Google Flu Trends, visualized below, shows the tale.

Given the risk, mayors and public health officials around the country are using new technologies to connect residents with health care, from social media to widgets to flu shot finder maps. This week, it looks like the code for a flu shot location application created in Chicago is doing what viruses do best: go viral in cities.

Sam Roudman at TechPresident:

“In the middle of what might be theworst flu season in a decade, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino declared apublic health emergency — and civic hackers found a way to help the cause. With help from Code for America volunteers, the Boston Mayor’s Office of New Urban Mechanics was able to repurpose aChicago app that maps free vaccination locations in little more than a day, just in time for a weekend vaccination campaign at 24 locations. The app’s journey from Chicago to Boston is a model of intra-civic partnership.”

Chris Whitaker explored the origins of the app at the Code for America blog today:

Originally developed in Chicago by Tom Kompare, the flu shot app helps users find nearby clinics offering free flu shots by entering in their address or by using a GPS-enabled mobile device. It also allows users to get public-transit directions to those clinics at the click of a button.

Built at the request of Chicago’s Department of Health, Kompare started work on the app after representatives from the department dropped by Chicago’s OpenGov Hack Night during the Google API challenge presentation in October, and asked about an easy way for citizens to find out where to get a free flu shot. Within weeks, Kompare’s app was built, adopted, and hosted on Smart Chicago’s Collaborative’s servers.

…Hours after Boston’s Mayor Menino had declared a public health emergency, Boston’s Brigade CaptainHarlan Weber reached out to me about the use of the flu shot app.… The app was launched and ready for the public less than 36 hours after the initial email was sent.

Now, it looks like the code is spreading from Chicago to Philadelphia as well, according to a tweet from Philly’s chief data officer, Mark Headd.

Awesome new flu shot locater for #Philly by @gurulloyd – apps.phillyopen.org/flu-shot-map/. #opendata #civichacking @codeforphilly

— Mark Headd (@mheadd) January 17, 2013

If you still need a shot, these maps can help you learn where to find one. In the meantime, take care to keep healthy by frequently washing your hands and protecting others if you do fall ill by covering your mouth when you cough.

http://www.flu.gov/stay-connected/vaccinelocator_2011.html