Cold and Flu Season is on the Way, Prepare with Achoo by Kleenex!

As much as I love the fall, the knowledge that winter is nearly here makes me cringe every time I set foot outside the door and feel the chill in the air. Everything from the snow drifts to the icy windshields to shivering while wearing four layers of clothing just isn't my thing.

Even worse, though? The way that cold and flu season has always been (and will most likely always continue to be) unpredictable. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), although epidemics of cold and flu happen every year, the timing, severity, and length of the season varies from one year to another.

That means that the cold and flu can hit your family without warning, leaving you scrambling to take off time from work, catch up on missed homework, disinfect your home from the germs, and more. Not to mention that if you aren't prepared with cold and flu essentials like Kleenex Everyday Tissue, you'll find yourself playing catch up after sickness has entered your home even more.

This year, there's help. To help you prepare for cold and flu season and avoid chaos when you or your family get sick, Kleenex brand launched the achoo by Kleenex cold and flu predictor — the first and only tool that can actually predict when cold and flu will reach your area.

This handy tool couldn't be much easier!

Start by visiting My-Achoo.com to access a cold and flu forecast for your area. Simply enter your zip code or city and state...

...and the achoo by Kleenex cold and flu predictor will show you your cold and flu risk for the next three weeks so that you can prepare for what's ahead.

Skeptical? The achoo by Kleenex cold and flu predictor is a proprietary and exclusive forecasting model based on the most relevant information from a range of sources, such as official CDC flu statistics, weather patterns, online search queries, social media discussion, OTC drug sales in various categories, bird migration patterns, air travel patterns, vaccination rates, vaccination campaigns and major public events that could increase transmission rates.

The result is a one-of-a-kind cold and flu tool that predicts where it will hit next up to three weeks in advance with an average accuracy rate of more than 90%, going well beyond the "current status" that other sources provide and giving consumers an opportunity to prepare for cold and flu before it hits their area.

My area currently has a "medium" status...

...but knowing when a cold or flu will hit is only half the battle.

Which is why I appreciate that Kleenex also offers helpful tips and advice to prepare my home for what's ahead, and useful information to help me avoid the last minute trips to the store so that I will be ready to care for my family if/when someone gets sick.

I've taken note of the Signs That You're Getting Sick, have read over the Tip of the Day, bookmarked the closest locations to find vaccines and have been amazed that the Kleenex Tissue Calculator estimates that my family will use around 20 boxes of tissues between fall and spring!

It looks like I need a trip to the store to stock up on Kleenex brand's new thicker and more absorbent everyday tissue (which provides exceptional hand protection by helping to keep hands clean and dry)!

After all, not only do I want to be prepared for the cold and flu, but I don't want to be caught in an "embarrassing moment" like the people in this video share with Ali Wentworth!


To learn more about the achoo by Kleenex cold and flu predictor and Kleenex brand's new thicker and more absorbent everyday tissue, visit Kleenex.com/flu. And be sure to head over to My-Achoo.com to find out what the cold and flu situation looks like in your area!

As a Kleenex Brand Ambassador, I was compensated by Kleenex for my time in sharing this information with you. However, as always, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.