Virginia’s Health Department rolls out H1N1 campaign

Advertisements on buses and in movie theaters, television and radio spots, temporary tattoos, T-shirts and stickers are all being used in a media campaign to persuade Virginians to get the H1N1 swine-flu vaccine.

The Virginia Department of Health yesterday rolled out a new Web site, logo and slogan in its swine-flu information and vaccination campaign.

The campaign features a Web site, http://www.H1N1GET1.com, and a slogan, “It’s up to you to fight the flu.“ The Web site is in partnership with District of Columbia and Maryland health agencies.

The stickers and temporary tattoos are designed to appeal to the thousands of Virginia schoolchildren officials hope will get vaccinated at schools and doctors’ offices. Radio and TV spots will start airing statewide Monday during prime time.

About $628,000 is being spent on the campaign, with about half of that on media purchase time.

Though the swine flu is causing modest illness in most who get it, younger people are being hospitalized for complications at a higher rate than older people.

“Sadly we’ve already had eight deaths in our state,“ said Dr. Karen Remley, Virginia health commissioner.

“Our goal is to really try to protect our communities. . . . The only way to do that is to get information out.“

The media campaign was unveiled at VCU Medical Center, where Remley and others at high risk for serious flu complications were vaccinated. Remley has asthma.

Seven-year-old Maddy Landa, who also has asthma, was vaccinated, as was her father, Clay Landa, 32. He said he wanted the vaccination so he wouldn’t get sick and pass the flu to his children.

“When you’re raising kids, there is always potentially going to be someone sick,“ Clay Landa said. “We’ve spent our time in the hospital when she was younger with asthma. I think at that point you realize there is nothing we can do except try to protect her the best we can.“

Remley said 260,000 doses of swine-flu vaccine are in the state or on the way.

Those first doses are prioritized for health-care workers, pregnant women, children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years, people with underlying health conditions and people who care for infants 6 months or younger.

“By mid-November we will have enough vaccine for everybody who wants to get vaccinated,“ Remley said.

The swine flu, health officials say, is most of the flu circulating in the community. It is different from seasonal flu, which typically makes the very young and the very old the sickest. With swine flu, children and young adults are more at risk of complications.

There is speculation that older people may have been exposed to similar strains in the past, providing them some immunity.

Remley said that during a typical flu season, about 40 percent of Virginians get vaccinated. “We’re aiming for 60 percent of the population” with the current campaign, she said.

The state swine-flu toll-free information line, (877) 275-8343, received 500 calls yesterday, with the majority asking where to get the vaccine, she said.

People may be able to get the vaccine at doctors’ offices. The Health Department will post a list of public locations with H1N1 vaccine as sites become available.