Sid the Science Kid Gets the H1N1 Vaccine

By Julie Stachowiak, PhD
Multiple Sclerosis Guide; Guest blogger

I love Sid the Science Kid, who has saved me from many other mind-numbing television shows for children. I would also say that since my kids also love Sid, I have gained lots of time to do other things while they watch episodes, but I usually end up dropping what I intended to do so that I could stay glued to the screen.

The concept behind Sid the Science Kid is to introduce kids to science by encouraging curiosity about the world around them. Sid usually has a question that the show is devoted to exploring in a kid-oriented way.

The people behind Sid at the Henson Company have collaborated with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research to create an episode devoted to flu vaccines, called Getting a Shot: You can do it!

The episode is available for download at the Flu.gov website (click the link above), and will also air on PBS on November 19 and 27 and December 21.

The thing that I like about Sid is that he is often skeptical himself and wants to know all angles of a situation before signing on just because a grownup "said so." Although I have not yet watched the episode myself, it promises to explain to kids why a flu shot is helpful and a good thing to do even if it hurts a little.