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Social Media: The Swine Flu Vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is experimenting with social media sites to connect with the rest of the world to encourage people to get vaccinated for the Swine Flu. The CDC which has partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has created accounts on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, MySpace, along with offering text message services, widgets for your personal website and several other ways of e-communication. 

The CDC has said they want to inform as many people as they can about possible outbreaks of the Swine Flu, and other future diseases.  Dr. Anne Schuchat, member of the CDC said, “We might see another wave after first of the year. It’s going to be important for people to take steps to protect themselves. We can’t predict what’s going to happen.”

While, there may be no real prediction, the CDC has actually done a great job at using the sites to reach out to everyone.  They have reached out on their YouTube channel with Elmo to talk with preschoolers in their families, while using more serious blog posts to reach out to adults.  How would you feel about sending or recieving an e-card from a family member?  That’s nothing new, but it’s not for a birthday or holiday, it’s a reminder to get the flu shot e-card. 

For a list of all the social media sites that the CDC is on, visit their social media page on their website.