A group of doctors in Baltimore used Google Flu Trends to track flu outbreaks there and discovered that the information is accurate and can even be helpful for individual hospital planning.

The findings - reported this month in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases - are significant because previous studies have shown that Google Flu Trends can help health officials at a national level, but none have proven that it can be so effective at a local level.

The information found on Google Flu Trends is much more timely than the CDC's reports because it is updated daily. The tracking information provided by the CDC is compiled weekly and may be as much as two weeks behind what is actually occurring by the time it is available.

The fact that hospitals and physicians may be able to use the information from Google to plan staffing and resources is significant. They may be able to prepare and respond to outbreaks more quickly and effectively. It may even help predict epidemics and pandemics in the future.

• Track Flu Activity in Your Area.

Novartis Consumer Health Inc. has recalled multiple lots of Excedrin, NoDoz, Bufferin and Gas-X Prevention because the tablets may be chipped or broken or the packages may contain stray tablets, capsules or caplets from other Novartis medications.

Recalled products include:

• All lots of certain Excedrin products with an expiration date of Dec 20, 2014 or earlier
• All lots of Bufferin products with an expiration date of Dec 20, 2013 or earlier
• All lots of Gas-X Prevention products with an expiration date of Dec 20, 2013 or earlier
• All lots of NoDoz products with an expiration date of Dec 20, 2014 or earlier

The company states that no adverse events have been reported at this time, but the recall is being initiated because of the possibility that people could get the wrong dose of the medication they are taking due to broken or chipped tablets or that they could ingest other medications unknowingly due to stray tablets in the packaging. This could result in medication interactions or allergic reaction.

If you have any of the recalled products, stop taking them and contact Novartis Consumer Healthcare at 1-888-477-2403 (available Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern Time) to get a full refund. If you believe you may have developed any problems after taking one of the recalled products, contact your health care provider. You can also report adverse events through the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Events Reporting Program.

For more information about this recall,

• Read the FDA Press Release
• See the Novartis Recall Website

A new year is upon us again and with it comes another flu season. Typical flu seasons peak sometime in February or March and it appears this year will be no exception. It is the first week of January and we are still seeing only sporadic flu activity around most of the country but it will most likely start to increase in the next few weeks.

For those who have already come down with the flu, symptoms in 2012 are much like those of past flu season. Symptoms include:

• Fever
• Exhaustion/Fatigue
• Body Aches
• Headache
• Cough
• Congestion

Symptoms typically last for about a week, but can last longer. Read more: How Long Does the Flu Last?

Although it may seem like every illness you get this winter is the flu, that really isn't the case. There are many other viruses and germs out there that can and do make us sick, especially during cold and flu season. If your symptoms are very different from those listed above, you probably don't have influenza ("the flu").

Want to know more? What You Need to Know About 2011-12 Flu Season.

Share Your Thoughts

Think you have the flu? Share your symptoms and experiences.

• Your Flu Symptoms
• How Long Did Your Flu Last?
• How Were You Diagnosed With the Flu?

December has been a busy month for About Cold and Flu. We're getting into the heart of cold and flu season and we participated in various activities related to the CDC's National Influenza Vaccination Week at the beginning of the month.

It's still not too late to get your flu vaccine if you haven't done so yet. If you want to know more about flu vaccines, find out which one is right for you or learn why different groups need to be vaccinated against the flu, find out what you need to know in our National Influenza Vaccination Week Wrap Up.

I also had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Joe Bresee, Chief of Epidemiology and Prevention at the CDC's Influenza Division about what that agency is doing to protect us from the influenza virus this season. See how the CDC is working to protect us from the flu.

Want to know what is happening with the flu this year? Learn more about what we have seen so far during the 2011-12 flu season and what we might expect. While no one can predict the future, there are things we already know about the circulating flu viruses and the vaccine that is available.

There are multiple flu vaccine options available now, you don't necessarily have to get the traditional flu shot. You may be wondering about the preservative free flu vaccine (it does not contain thimerosal) or want to see if the nasal spray flu vaccine may be right for your family. Learn about all of your options and find out which one is right for you, all in one place.