November 27th, 2009
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November 27, 2009, 4:59AM
Today, Auburn will host Alabama at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Football fans attending home games at Auburn, Alabama, Troy and UAB, and those listening along on the radio, have been hearing more than statistics and color commentary. Game announcers have been talking up flu preparation and vaccinations. MOBILE, Ala. — Radio announcers for football games at four state universities are helping Alabama fight the flu.
Since the summer, the Alabama Department of Public Health has spent at least $610,000 on advertising to spread the word about flu prevention, according to spokesman Jim McVay.
About $360,000 of that has gone to Auburn, Troy, Alabama and Alabama Birmingham.
Swine flu, also known as H1N1, continues to infect thousands of people in Alabama, causing 33 deaths as of this week.
The media campaign to raise public awareness has taken several forms:
• Radio and television spots now under way feature people at an opera singing about how to prepare for flu season.
• Messages on electronic scoreboards at the four universities remind football fans to get ready for flu season and to get vaccinated for swine flu.
“When the home team makes a first down it flashes up ‘Do 10′,” McVay said, referring to the campaign that lists 10 things to do to prepare for flu season. “Do these 10 things to avoid getting influenza.”
• Health department employees have been attending games at the four school to pass out fliers about flu preparation.
Earlier this year, the health department received three federal grants that will reimburse spending of up to $21 million through June 2010 for flu prevention efforts, McVay said.
Delays in securing flu vaccine from national sources has caused the agency to delay buying more spots right away. Alabama has received about 600,000 doses as of this week.
“Right now we have more people who want the vaccine than we have vaccine,” McVay said. “By the middle to end of December we should have ample quantities.”
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