Posted on the Pediatric SuperSite on September 1, 2009
Elmo urges children to ‘wash, wash, wash’ hands to fight
infection
Popular Sesame Street veterans Elmo and Gordon are helping health
officials get the word out to children about preventing the spread of the novel
H1N1 virus and the seasonal flu.
Four public service advertisements, first released last spring when H1N1
first appeared in North America, have been repurposed to promote www.flu.gov,
the federal government’s website for the latest information on the new
H1N1 virus and the seasonal flu.
The
PSAs, which feature Gordon and Elmo demonstrating the proper way to
wash hands and practicing healthy habits like sneezing and coughing into the
bends of their arms, will be distributed nationwide and will be supported in
airtime donated by television stations.
“We are thrilled to partner with Elmo, Gordon and Sesame Workshop
again to emphasize the steps kids and their parents can take to stay happy and
healthy this school year,” Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen
Sebelius said in a press release. “Younger children and their parents are
some of the people most at risk from the new H1N1 flu virus and with schools
starting back up again and the weather starting to get colder, we need to do
everything we can to get these important messages about how to prevent the
spread of the flu out there.”
Meanwhile, schools are taking steps for a possible fall H1N1 resurgence,
distributing information to students, teachers and parents about avoiding
infection and cautioning them to stay home if they are sick.
A report issued last week by the President’s Council of Advisors on
Science and Technology cautioned the novel virus could affect as much as half
of the population. A vaccine is in development but is not expected until at
least mid-October.
The Pediatric SuperSite is intended for physician use and all comments will be posted at the discretion of the editors.
We reserve the right not to post any comments with unsolicited information about medical devices or other products.
At no time will the Pediatric SuperSite be used for medical advice to patients.
