Another mosquito season is approaching, and Sesame Street and SC Johnson are working together to raise awareness and share critical information about mosquito bite prevention.
A education program called 1, 2, 3 Stay Away Mosquitoes, features Muppet friends Grover, Ernie, The Count and Rosita, and provides free content to children and caregivers with tips to avoid mosquitoes that may carry disease and remove breeding grounds. It also offers age-appropriate information about the benefits of wearing protective clothing and repellent.
The materials, available in English and Spanish, include two online videos, activity sheets for children, and tips for parents on a digital toolkit at: www.sesamestreet.org/mosquito. The online information prompts parents to create mosquito-free places for children and provides helpful advice such as:
- Mosquitoes love water and wet areas. Remove standing water from any place it collects, like flowerpots, drains, birdbaths, children’s pools, and roof gutters, and teach children not to play in puddles.
- Make sure your home has screens on doors and windows. Even small holes can let in mosquitoes, so be sure to repair any tears in the screens. Children can help by playing “detective” to find any holes in need of repair!
- Mosquito netting can also be used to protect strollers and infant carriers or when sleeping outdoors.
- When outdoors, use personal repellent, following the label instructions, and wear light colored and long-sleeved clothing.
As a family company, SC Johnson believes in having a positive impact on communities and is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of people locally and globally. As part of this commitment, SC Johnson pledged to donate $15 million in resources to combat the rising global outbreak of mosquito-borne disease. To date, more than $8 million of OFF!® products and financial donations have been provided to organizations around the world, especially those in regions with high risk of mosquito-borne diseases like malaria, Zika, West Nile, chikungunya and dengue fever.