H1N1 Preparedness, New Media and HIV/AIDS

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is working hard to inform the public about how to prepare for and prevent H1N1 flu.

We wanted to highlight a few new media tools that HHS is using to ensure public engagement and move information quickly.

1. User-generated videos: HHS is sponsoring a video contest and encouraging people to create a 15, 30, or 60 second video Public Service Announcement (PSA) to inform and motivate people to take steps that will help prevent the spread of the flu. Find out more details on www.flu.gov.

1. Widgets: HHS has developed several flu-related widgets (in English and Spanish) including an H1N1 map and a widget that provides flu news updates.

1. eCards: There are a few eCards (and more to come) that you can send to your family and friends with a message about how to prevent the flu.

1. Twitter: HHS is also tweeting about the flu through twitter.com/flugovExit Disclaimer.

To ensure that the HIV community is prepared for the H1N1 flu and understands how H1N1 can affect people living with HIV and AIDS, HIV.gov is sponsoring a webinar on September 2, 2009 from 2-2:45 pm EDT. To learn more and register for the webinar, visit www.HIV.gov/webinars.