PBS’ Sesame Street has lent one of its most popular characters to the Department of U.S. Health and Human Services to urge parents to vaccinate their children.
After a winter filled with deadly outbreaks of Ebola and dangerous outbreaks of Measles, an extended discussion on the efficacy of vaccinating children arose that brought regular Americans, doctors, and even celebrities to the national debate.
Now Elmo is being used to urge vaccinations.
“I explained to him that, as Surgeon General, it is my job to help everyone stay healthy,” U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy said of the Muppet character in a statement. “Specifically, Elmo and I talked about the importance of vaccines and making sure that all children are protected from easily preventable diseases.”
“Come on everybody get vaccinated with Elmo!” the Muppet Character says at the end of the video.
The debate over vaccinations still rages. In one school district in Spokane, Washington, for instance, 143 kids were kicked out of school for not being vaccinated. California is mulling a bill to eliminate the religious exemptions to vaccines for children in public schools.
California’s actions came after an outbreak of measles that started in that state and infected 123 people nationwide.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com
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