National contest invites teens and teachers to participate in flu prevention campaign

Former American Idol finalist Danny Gokey and The Clorox Company have teamed up to launch I Don't Want to Miss…, a national contest designed to get teens and their teachers involved in flu prevention.

The contest calls for teachers and teens to submit creative video entries of "I Don't Want to Miss…," a new song written by a music student about the ways the flu can take aim at teens' big moments, from the big dance to the big game. For each entry submitted, The Clorox Company will donate $100 (up to $10,000) to the Sophia's Heart Foundation, a charity founded by Gokey in honor of his late wife, Sophia, and dedicated to helping children achieve academic success via musical training and restoring musical dreams in children.

"From play practice to homework to the 'big game,' I know teens can't afford to miss a beat. I couldn't imagine missing out on key moments like American Idol because of the flu like some of my fellow competitors, or not having the opportunity to pursue my love of music," said Gokey. "That's why I'm excited about helping give others the chance to study music and achieve their goals by participating in this important flu prevention campaign."

Cold and flu is a major reason kids miss days at school and has already had a big impact on schools and students this year. In fact, at the start of the 2009 flu season, more than 65,000 students were out of school due to the H1N1 flu and 600 schools had already closed for a period of time due to an outbreak of the virus.

Put Your Spin on Prevention

This year, Clorox is calling on school musical groups nationwide to develop a video performance of a song by Berklee College of Music student Will Wells on what they would not want to miss out on if they were home sick and why prevention is important. Putting their own spin on the song is a great opportunity for students and teachers to be creative together in the classroom.

A judges' panel will select five finalists, and just like Idol, the winner will be America's choice through an online vote for the favorite video. The group that submits the winning video will receive a music class led by Gokey at their school. For the first 100 groups to submit, the teacher will receive a Clorox care package with items like disinfecting wipes to help their school disinfect frequently touched surfaces to help prevent the spread of germs.

For more information about the contest visit www.Facebook.com/Clorox.

Sick Days are "Ick" Days

Schools are a common place for flu viruses to spread. In fact, families with school-age children have more infections than other families, with an average of one-third of the family members becoming infected each year. Influenza is not the only respiratory infection of concern in schools -- nearly 22 million school days are lost each year to the common cold alone.

"It is very easy for teens to pick up illness-causing germs from their friends at school and spread them to their families and others," said Dr. Harley Rotbart, infectious diseases specialist and author of Germ Proof Your Kids. "Because teens have so much going on, it is very important that they follow simple prevention steps like getting vaccinated and practicing effective hand hygiene so they do not miss out on the big events in their lives. Parents can also help by making sure that frequently touched surfaces are disinfected as directed and that their teens eat right, get enough sleep, and exercise regularly."

To help prevent the spread of flu viruses, in February 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expanded the flu vaccination recommendations to include all children from six months through 18 years old.

Keep the Flu Virus Out of the Competition

There are various ways teachers and families can help "eliminate" flu viruses so they don't miss out on the things they care about the most. Vaccination is the first and most important step in seasonal flu and H1N1 prevention, but the following simple steps can also help prevent flu viruses from spreading:

• After You Hi-Five, Wash Your Hands: Wash your hands with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds after any activity that involves others (like sports practice, play practice or school dances) or after touching frequently touched surfaces.
• Disinfecting 101: It is important that frequently touched surfaces in the classroom and home and shared items like desks, cell phones and light switches, are disinfected as directed.
• Share the Scoop… Not Your Sneeze: Cough and sneeze into your elbow instead of your hands to help prevent the spread of germs from touch.
• The Health Teacher Is Right: Eat right (especially foods with lots of vitamin C), exercise, dress warmly when it's cold, and get plenty of sleep to help boost your body's ability to fight the effects of the seasonal flu and the H1N1 flu.