ba-bump-bum, ba-bump-bum. "H1N1 swine flu infection. For intervention I bring prevention…"
Dr. John Clarke, the “hip hop doc,” was voted the winner of the H1N1 PSA Contest. The announcement HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan kicked off a great event, hosted by George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. The two Secretaries, Dr. Lisa Barrios from the CDC, and the GMU student body President Dev Desgupta participated in a townhall meeting with students and faculty from the college about H1N1.
The group discussed flu prevention strategies on college campuses, which are especially at risk for outbreaks of H1N1 this flu season. Secretary Sebelius and Secretary Duncan both expressed their commitment to reach young adults to spread the word about flu prevention. They said one vehicle the government employed to educate younger Americans about the flu was the PSA contest in cooperation with YouTube.
Over the summer, the Department of Health and Human Services teamed up with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Education to announce a national public service advertising campaign designed to encourage American children and families to take steps to prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu virus. The three government agencies called on our country’s creative filmmakers, rookie to expert level, to design web videos conveying the flu prevention message.
The response was incredible: over 240 videos were submitted by the August deadline, after which a panel of experts narrowed the field to 10 finalists. Then, Americans weighed in to vote for their favorite PSA on YouTube. In the winning video, Dr. Clarke performed an original rap on how to prevent the spread of the flu. Dr. Clarke is the Medical Director for the Long Island Railroad, and his PSA was videotaped at the Columbia University campus in Manhattan. As the creator of the winning PSA, he collects a $2,500 prize and his ad will be viewed by Americans across the country on national television. Congratulations to Dr. Clarke, and to our other talented finalists!
The 2009 H1N1 PSA Contest finalists include:
Flu Droplets - Jason Phillips (San Francisco, CA)
Hazmat - Gary Ashwal (Los Angeles, CS)
Bagman - Christopher Landy (Ardmore, PA)
Help Stop Flu - Andrew Starver (La Marida, CA)
H1N1 Rap by Dr. Clarke - Dr. John Clarke (Baldwin, NY)
Flu Sounds PSA - Joan Porter (Oak Park, MI)
Simply Fighting the Flu Virus - Luke Eddy (West Point, UT)
Be Aware of the Invisible Flu PSA - Christopher Cymbalak (Leland, NC)
Toothbrush Prank - Neil McManus (Maplewood, NJ)
