"Baby be Wise" video encourages students to "Immunize"

For those who may not want to get a flu shot, a video starring employees at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania - "Baby be Wise, Immunize" - may make them reconsider.

College junior Ryan Leonard and Mel Kearney, an occupational medicine nurse at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, produced the video last fall to raise awareness about flu vaccines.

"Over the years, I met staff from all over the hospital who told me all kinds of tales about how bad the flu was for them or a family member," wrote Kearney in an e-mail. "I saw firsthand how bad the flu can be and how it can exacerbate underlying medical problems."

The influenza virus can live for more than eight hours on inanimate objects, but according to Kearney, only 42 percent of health care workers get flu shots.

The flu video, combined with other efforts like the Flu Fair, encouraged many in the Penn community - especially at HUP - to reconsider getting flu shots.

"Many staff may not have realized their own personal responsibility and accountability," wrote Kearney. "So far, we have seen an approximately 20-percent increase in immunizations over the last year."

Leonard and Kearney thought of the idea for the video last summer, she wrote. At first, they planned to integrate their idea with an orientation video for the volunteers in the emergency department.

Instead, they eventually decided to make a separate promotional flu vaccination video.

Collaboration was the key in making the video, Kearney said. Several departments at HUP also assisted with the video's production, either by starring in the video itself or working backstage.

When making the video, they chose a ready-made song by PennYo, a Chinese a cappella group at Penn, then re-wrote the lyrics and re-recorded the song.

"It was an amazing, wonderful and convincing video," said Amy Behrman, the director of occupational medicine at HUP. "The video explicitly addressed some of the concerns related to the flu."

The video was released in mid-October at the Flu Fair and the health director's meeting. It was also posted on YouTube and has over 6,000 views so far.

"Ultimately it was successful in improving flu shot awareness within the [University of Pennsylvania Health System]," wrote Leonard.

He added that he and Kearney plan to film another video this semester.

"This time we plan to tackle hand hygiene," he added.

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