LatinaLista — The old rule about cover your cough with your hand is just that — an old rule!
Now, we’re all being reminded that using your hand to block your germs is about the most unhealthy thing we can do in this time of the contagious swine flu or H1N1 virus. The way to cover a cough these days is to cough down into the crook of our arms.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius with Sesame Street character Elmo at Health and Human Services headquarters.
Since health officials are saying that young people and pregnant women are the ones who seem to be the most at risk for the swine flu, the government has created a new public service announcement (PSA) campaign.
The Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Education and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, have teamed up to launch a new, national public service advertising campaign designed to encourage American children and families to practice healthy habits and to take steps to prevent the spread of the 2009 H1N1 flu virus.
Though an earlier round of PSAs were created last spring using both Sesame Street and Plaza Sésamo (Spanish-speaking) muppet characters to warn against the spread of germs, this campaign has retooled those PSAs to direct people to the government’s new one-stop shop for flu information — flu.gov
In addition, the government is sponsoring the final judging in a contest that runs until Sept. 16 to choose the most effective flu PSA.
Viewers need only watch the short PSAs at the USGOVHHS YouTube channel and pick their favorite. The winner gets a couple thousand and the opportunity to have their work shown nationally.
It’s an honor not to be sneezed at 🙂
