Elmo joins H1N1 flu fight

Health and Human Services Department Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks to members of the news media as Sesame Street character Elmo stands besides her in Washington in May 2009. As US kids go back to school facing a likely resurgence of (A)H1N1 flu, the US government Tuesday enlisted Sesame Street muppets Elmo and Gordon in a new health campaign.(AFP/Getty Images/File/Robert Giroux)

The federal government is reintroducing a powerful weapon in the fight against the H1N1 flu virus: Elmo.The popular Sesame Street character will be featured in a series of public service advertisements meant to encourage better hygiene among young children, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday.In the ads, Elmo teams up with Gordon, another Sesame Street veteran, to stress the importance of basic healthy habits such as frequent hand washing, sneezing into the bend of your arm, and not touching your mouth, nose, and eyes....