Carroll Gardens One of Four Most Flu-Infected Neighborhoods, Report

According to a new web application, Carroll Gardens is one of the four most flu-infected neighborhoods in New York City, reported The New York Post over the weekend.

Using a Twitter-based algorithm and search terms such as "headache" and "sick," The Germ Tracker app is allegedly able to pinpoint the hardest-hit locales in the metro area—the top four including Hell's Kitchen, Upper West Side, and Elmhurst, Queens.

The number of “sick tweets” complaining of symptoms have significantly risen during the last three weeks, Adam Sadilek, one of the computer scientists who created the system at the University of Rochester, told the Post.

Many New Yorkers told the Post they would use the app to help them avoid high-risk neighborhoods "along with hand-washing and flu shots, to stay healthy."

If you're feeling ill or considering getting a flu shot yourself, there are many places in Carroll Gardens, Cobble Hill, Boerum Hill and contiguous areas at which to do so.

"Our physician practices all have sufficient quantities of flu vaccine for their patients," Thomas Wirth, Senior Director of Ambulatory Care at Downstate LICH told Patch. "If someone doesn't want a doctor's appointment and just wants a shot, then the retail pharmacies are their best bet—it's not expensive and they won't have to wait a long time.

Those without insurance or limited finances are advised to call 311 to discuss alternative options.