Video: Elmo, Hip-Hop Doc Prep Us to Fight Swine Flu

Just a few more days until the return to school comes for students across the city as medical experts anxiously await just how badly swine flu might affect the upcoming academic year. Already at Cornell University in Ithaca, 140 students have come down with flu-like illnesses in the two weeks since school has reconvened.

In the meantime, the Health Department is doing everything they can to get the word out on what you can do to combat the H1N1 virus. That includes the agency sponsoring a PSA contest where people can vote for one of 10 finalists whose videos are on YouTube. While the finalists include a number of slickly produced videos with high production values, one Long Island doctor simply had his cousin grab a camera and hit the streets of Harlem with a swine flu rap in tow. Dr. John Clarke, Medical Director for the LIRR, made the "health hop" video below. He tells the News, "When I found out, I was like wow. This is really cool, that the U.S. government is actually endorsing a hip-hop video!"

You can help out the "Hip Hop Doc's" shot at winning $2,500 in prize money by voting for the video here. After the jump is a new commercial featuring Elmo and Gordon teaching kids what steps they can take to avoid swine flu.