HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Sesame Workshop, And The Ad Council Launch National Campaign To Protect Families From H1N1 Virus And Stay Healthy

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is joining the Ad Council and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, to launch a national public service advertising campaign designed to encourage American families and children to take steps to protect themselves from the 2009 H1N1 flu virus and continue to practice healthy habits.  As part of HHS and the Ad Council’s campaign, Sesame Workshop produced a television PSA featuringSesame Street’s Elmo and Gordon explaining the importance of healthy habits such as washing your hands, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth and sneezing into the bend of your arm. 

The campaign was unveiled this morning by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at the HHS/Department of Education Childcare Center in Washington, D.C. The PSAs will be distributed nationwide today and will be supported in airtime donated by television stations. 

“We are doing everything we can to protect public health and teach children how they can stay healthy and safe,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Elmo, Gordon, Sesame Workshop, and the Ad Council are delivering an important message to our kids.” 

The 2009 H1N1 flu virus is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in April 2009. The virus is spreading from person-to-person, sparking a growing outbreak of illness in the U.S. and internationally. To date, over 5,700 cases have been reported in the United States and there are nine deaths associated with the novel H1N1 infection. Experts believe that the 2009 H1N1 flu spreads in the same way that seasonal influenza viruses spread — primarily through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus. 

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