Faith
The Age of Polio: How an Old Virus and New Toxins Triggered a Man-Made Epidemic -- Part 1, The Wrong Narrative

2003 Cookie Monster Had Cookie Flu and Survived. 2009 Sid the Science Kid Sold Flu Vaccines.

Cookie-monster My how times change. In the late 1960s The Brady Bunch kids all had the measles. In the 1990s Arthur had the chicken pox. Frank Sinatra once sang, "I've had the measles, I've had the mumps, everything happens to me." And in 2003, Cookie Monster caught the cookie flu. Oscar the Grouch didn't laugh uproariously that his chocolate chip loving friend was dying. Telly Monster didn't worry himself sick. Prairie Dawn didn't sing a dirge. Gordon the science teacher didn't spank him for not getting a flu shot. Bob didn't sing "Who are the bad mommies in the neighborhood."

COOKIE MONSTER CAUGHT THE FLU AND LIVED TO TELL THE TALE.

In 2009, the United States Government contracted with PBS's Sid the Science Kid to promote flu vaccines for children.  And Elmo told kids to wash their hands well to avoid the flu. In 2011, all disease is treated like the plague. Fear sells. Always has ("do YOU have halitosis?")

Comments

Grace Lyon

One day I let my 4 year old daughter play on PBS.org on the Sid portion of the web site because she liked the show. She clicked on a link and all I remember seeing was Sid and a big hypodermic needle right next to him. My daughter was so scared she freaked out and I immediately had to go to another page. Unbelievable! I have not let her watch it since.

Heather Thompson

My nephew used to like the show. I don't know if he still does. He's a very sickly kid. My boys don't watch that dreck. Now, they DO watch Nick Jr (formerly Noggin) for shows like the Backyardigans, Little Bear, Jack's Big Music Show, and Olivia. None of those shows has said anything about vaccines or being sick (at least that does not involve regular old fashioned remedies like warm soup, rest, etc). We have definitely banned SSK in our house. That vaccine episode was the final nail in the coffin.

Adriana

Maurine-- lmao, lmao, lmao, rotfl, LOL. Have I forgotten any acronyms? My face hurts.

Judith

LOL! Priceless! We have the Arthur's Chicken Pox book, and it's one of my son's favorites. I nearly fell over when I saw it was still available at the library for kids to read. I figured it would be banned by now. Alison, I'm with you on Sid...it is so UN-freaking-REALISTIC!! And annoying.... We still to WORD WORLD and Dora and Diego...so far neither one has tried to peddle vaccines. Maurine and Adriana, thanks for the laugh!

Stagmom

I LOVE YOU MAURINE!!!!!

Cynthia Cournoyer

And way back in 2003 only 5 year olds were allowed to get the flu vaccine. It was still no big deal to get the flu. What epidemic of flu in babies 6 months old (now recommended age) spurred the vaccine? None. Only fear.

And back in 1949, the pre-cursor to the March of Dimes was bragging how they treated polio successfully and kids actually recovered! (vaccine in 1955) http://protomag.com/assets/still-a-scourge?page=2

The selling of fear is dependent upon the EXISTENCE of a vaccine.

Maurine Meleck

Ms Lucy had a baby,
she named it Johnny Brown
she put him in the bathtub
to bring his fever down.

He drank up all the water
he ate up all the soap
he tried to eat the bathtub
but it won't go down his throat.

Ms Lucy called the doctor
Ms Lucy called the nurse
Ms Lucy called the lady
with the alligator purse.

"freeways" said the doctor
"sponge Bob" said the nurse
"Vaccines" said the lady
with the alligsator purse.

Maurine

Adriana

Ms Lucy had a baby,
She named it Tiny Tim,
She put him in the bathtub,
To see if he could swim.

He drank up all the water,
He ate up all the soap,
He tried to eat the bathtub
But it won't go down his throat.

Ms Lucy called the doctor,
Ms Lucy called the nurse,
Ms Lucy called the lady
with the alligator purse.

"Measles" said the doctor,
"Tonsils" said the nurse,
"Hungry" said the lady
with the alligator purse...

space kitty

I do not allow my kids to watch Sid. My daughter came running from the bedroom one day begging me to take her to the hospital for a vaccine so she could grow strong and healthy... I couldn't believe when she told me it was on Sid. So I watched it, and told her it was time to say goodbye to Sid.

Jen

Oh goody, after commercial Matt Lauer's gonna talk about "the 4 vaccines every woman needs." I bet one is Gardasil.

Alison MacNeil

God I hate that Sid the Science Kid. I hate the whole show. The dad who has 30 minutes to stop what he's doing and explain gravity at breakfast. The ultra-hip grandma. The supposedly mainstream classroom with only 5 kids in it, and the classroom is huge. And something is clearly wrong with one of the boys in the class, the big guy. Sid's got sensory issues- did you see the one about sound? Too many flu shots Sid! But, not a total loss...one of the best one liners to come out of PBS..."hey, it's rug time!

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