Hawaii Health Officials Release Influenza Education Videos

By Bobbi-Lin Kalama (student news/media intern, Kamehameha Schools – Maui)

[flashvideo file=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z64le5isSow /] The Hawai’i State Department of Health today announced the release of a new series of influenza education videos.

Working in partnership with the Department of Education and private schools, the video series was developed with input from students and teachers as well as community pediatricians.

“The whole idea was to involve youth and see how we could help our educational partners inform kids about important health and science topics while having fun,” stated Dr. Sarah Y. Park, State Epidemiologist.  “Working with the kids was amazing,” she said.

Image Courtesy: State Department Of Health

In the videos, students in grades four to six explore and explain various facts about influenza, “going viral,” flu prevention, and pandemic preparedness in a series of skits and real-world scenes. Highlights include the Blue Flu Rap, and an interview with a local family caught overseas and falling ill during the early days of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.

State officials say the flu video release is a timely reminder of the importance of continuing flu vaccination during and after the holiday season, into January and beyond. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone six months and older should get the annual flu vaccination.

For more information about getting vaccinated, please talk to your health care provider. For a listing on where to get vaccinated, go to:  http://hawaii.gov/health/flu-hawaii-gov/Documents/flushotschedule.pdf.

***(Posted by Wendy Osher and Bobbi-Lin Kalama, student media/news intern, Kamehameha Schools-Maui; information courtesy Hawaii Department of Health)

Image Courtesy: State Department Of Health