Elmo happy to do his small part to keep the flu from spreading

Oh goodness. Elmo, that furry little red monster from Sesame Street, is now teaching us how to wash our hands. And to sneeze properly. Developed by Sesame Workshop, the commercials are a joint effort of the Ad Council and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The goal? To minimize the spread of H1N1, or swine flu, as it's more commonly called. And since repetition makes for good memory, Elmo preaches good hand-washing habits in one ad by saying, "Wash, wash, wash, wash, wash, wash," in his chirpy, sing-song tone. Let's hope none of the Sesame Street gang comes down with the swine flu.

—Posted by Elaine Wong