The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy recently appeared with Sesame Street’s Elmo in a public service ad about children vaccinations, “Get all your vaccinations in time to stay healthy”, he continued. “Don’t worry, Elmo, it’s just a little pinch and it’s safe. And tell all your friends on Sesame Street to get vaccinated too.”
A Harvard-trained physician and son of Indian immigrants, Murthy 37, is the youngest Surgeon General in more than a century. Murthy wants to change the world. “We’re trying to build a movement around public health,” he told BuzzFeed News. The Surgeon General, is actually an admiral, and wears a Navy blue uniform. “The fundamental job of this office,” he said, “is to look out for the health of this country.” He wants to move his position into the 21st century by tweeting (he has 46,000 followers), Tumblring, and even urging Elmo to get his shots. “I really enjoyed working with Elmo, we were working together to get out an important message” Murthy said.
Dr. Murthy went on the road and took his message to the people. From December to March, Murthy traveled across the country, from Miami to Cincinnati to Seattle, talking to doctors and patients about everything from exercise to Ebola. When in his hometown of Miami, Fl he took a picture with his old high school teachers saying “Incredibly touched by teachers from Palmetto High School who surprised me at Miami STEM event.Taught me to believe in myself.”
