324:
300:
312:
288:
31:
178:
in
Atlanta and across the United States. Local health departments used the character Wellbee. In Atlanta and Tampa, a smiling Wellbee appeared on posters encouraging children to "drink the free polio vaccine", stating it "tastes good, works fast, prevents polio". In Chicago, its image appeared on
246:
Within a year, Stenhouse noted "Wellbee, the 'health educator's friend', had a busy year. He was particularly active in promoting community polio programs. He spoke
Spanish in New Mexico; he came to life in costume in Hawaii and led a parade."
155:
newspaper on March 11, 1962, following a press release that described the character as "a pleasant-faced, bright–eyed, happy cartoon character, who is the personification of good health."
174:
The marketing campaign by the CDC planned appearances of
Wellbee at public health events and in leaflets, newspapers and posters, and on radio and television, beginning with promoting
162:
measures and the importance of vaccination. At the time, the US government had substantially increased funding and new programs in public health, and with the support of the
262:
254:
that prevents diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough, resulting in a fall in cases of polio and diphtheria. In 1965 the
Vaccination Assistance Act was extended.
129:'s (CDC) public information officer George M. Stenhouse. The character became CDC's national symbol of public health at the time, and was widely used to promote
250:
As a result of the
Vaccination Assistance Act, 50 million people were vaccinated against polio between 1962 and 1964 and seven million children received the
714:
593:
126:
44:
719:
545:
518:
489:
462:
433:
145:
Wellbee, a standing cartoon character bumblebee with a smiling round face representing "well-being", was created by the
Hollywood artist
759:
149:, at the request of CDC's public information officer George M. Stenhouse. Referred to by the CDC as "he", Wellbee was first revealed in
214:
in
Anchorage, and in Dallas it cautioned against being "Illbee". Subsequent immunization campaigns included promoting vaccines against
709:
269:, vaccine mascots are "humorous, playful", and it "makes it seem less clinical, less government-driven, less 'You have to take this
724:
151:
754:
704:
450:
373:
234:, becoming familiar to children and the national symbol of public health. In 1964 posters encouraged the vaccinated to get
506:
323:
163:
481:
Oxford
Textbook of Infectious Disease Control: A Geographical Analysis from Medieval Quarantine to Global Eradication
258:
535:
479:
744:
734:
729:
739:
601:
749:
423:
159:
299:
311:
541:
514:
485:
458:
429:
231:
184:
54:
287:
146:
122:
94:
257:
Several vaccine mascots have been created since
Wellbee. According to the director of the
204:
180:
196:
192:
698:
340:
175:
134:
114:
166:, sponsored the CDC in its educational efforts, the symbol of which became Wellbee.
266:
235:
223:
130:
381:
137:
campaigns in the United States following the
Vaccination Assistance Act of 1962.
251:
227:
200:
188:
215:
673:
648:
623:
594:"The weird and wacky mascots promoting coronavirus vaccines around the world"
564:
374:"Wellbee, the 'health educator's friend' | David J. Sencer CDC Museum | CDC"
118:
30:
211:
183:
and billboards. A person dressed as Wellbee posed with baseball players
219:
425:
Vaccine Nation: America's Changing Relationship with Immunization
513:. Charleston, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing. p. 36.
455:
Vaccination in America: Medical Science and Children's Welfare
117:
mascot that first appeared in 1962. He was an anthropomorphic
222:, and the character was used to emphasize the benefits of
428:. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 48–49.
451:"14. The complexities of mass immunization culture"
210:The bee visited schools in Honolulu, appeared on a
100:
90:
82:
68:
60:
50:
40:
158:The purpose of the character was the promotion of
478:Cliff, Andrew; Smallman-Raynor, Matthew (2013).
457:. Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. p. 257.
263:London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
203:. Also in Boston, Wellbee stood alongside mayor
540:. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. p. 54.
674:"Details - Public Health Image Library(PHIL)"
649:"Details - Public Health Image Library(PHIL)"
624:"Details - Public Health Image Library(PHIL)"
565:"Details - Public Health Image Library(PHIL)"
8:
587:
585:
273:", thereby engaging young and older groups.
21:
559:
557:
417:
415:
413:
411:
409:
407:
405:
403:
401:
399:
511:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
127:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
45:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
29:
20:
281:Public health posters featuring Wellbee:
507:"3. The 1950s: the "war baby" grows up"
484:. Oxford University Press. p. 98.
352:
283:
113:was an American cartoon character and
368:
366:
364:
362:
360:
358:
356:
35:Drawing of Wellbee from a 1963 poster
7:
592:Berger, Miriam (February 11, 2021).
16:1960s American public health mascot
715:Public health in the United States
207:, who had been affected by polio.
164:Vaccination Assistance Act of 1962
14:
380:. April 30, 2021. Archived from
322:
310:
298:
286:
152:The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
449:Altenbaugh, Richard J. (2018).
1:
720:American advertising slogans
121:created by Hollywood artist
776:
760:Anthropomorphic arthropods
259:Vaccine Confidence Project
176:Sabin's oral polio vaccine
710:1962 in the United States
28:
725:Public health education
534:Orr, Tamra B. (2011).
55:Unvaccinated Americans
755:Vaccination advocates
705:Advertising campaigns
422:Conis, Elena (2015).
505:Kelley, Bob (2015).
598:The Washington Post
25:
604:on January 8, 2022
384:on January 9, 2022
125:at the request of
547:978-1-4358-9436-5
520:978-1-4671-1320-5
491:978-0-19-959661-4
464:978-3-319-96348-8
435:978-0-226-92376-5
232:injury prevention
185:Bill Monbouquette
160:preventive health
108:
107:
75:Cartoon character
767:
745:American mascots
735:Health campaigns
730:Health promotion
689:
688:
686:
684:
670:
664:
663:
661:
659:
645:
639:
638:
636:
634:
620:
614:
613:
611:
609:
600:. Archived from
589:
580:
579:
577:
575:
561:
552:
551:
531:
525:
524:
502:
496:
495:
475:
469:
468:
446:
440:
439:
419:
394:
393:
391:
389:
370:
326:
314:
302:
290:
272:
181:pin-back buttons
147:Harold M. Walker
123:Harold M. Walker
95:Harold M. Walker
33:
26:
775:
774:
770:
769:
768:
766:
765:
764:
740:Cartoon mascots
695:
694:
693:
692:
682:
680:
672:
671:
667:
657:
655:
647:
646:
642:
632:
630:
622:
621:
617:
607:
605:
591:
590:
583:
573:
571:
563:
562:
555:
548:
533:
532:
528:
521:
504:
503:
499:
492:
477:
476:
472:
465:
448:
447:
443:
436:
421:
420:
397:
387:
385:
372:
371:
354:
349:
337:
330:
327:
318:
315:
306:
303:
294:
291:
279:
270:
244:
205:John F. Collins
172:
143:
83:Release date(s)
78:
36:
17:
12:
11:
5:
773:
771:
763:
762:
757:
752:
750:Fictional bees
747:
742:
737:
732:
727:
722:
717:
712:
707:
697:
696:
691:
690:
665:
640:
615:
581:
553:
546:
526:
519:
497:
490:
470:
463:
441:
434:
395:
351:
350:
348:
345:
344:
343:
336:
333:
332:
331:
328:
321:
319:
316:
309:
307:
304:
297:
295:
292:
285:
278:
275:
243:
240:
197:Boston Red Sox
193:Eddie Bressoud
171:
168:
142:
139:
106:
105:
102:
98:
97:
92:
88:
87:
84:
80:
79:
77:
76:
72:
70:
66:
65:
62:
58:
57:
52:
48:
47:
42:
38:
37:
34:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
772:
761:
758:
756:
753:
751:
748:
746:
743:
741:
738:
736:
733:
731:
728:
726:
723:
721:
718:
716:
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
702:
700:
679:
675:
669:
666:
654:
650:
644:
641:
629:
625:
619:
616:
603:
599:
595:
588:
586:
582:
570:
566:
560:
558:
554:
549:
543:
539:
538:
530:
527:
522:
516:
512:
508:
501:
498:
493:
487:
483:
482:
474:
471:
466:
460:
456:
452:
445:
442:
437:
431:
427:
426:
418:
416:
414:
412:
410:
408:
406:
404:
402:
400:
396:
383:
379:
375:
369:
367:
365:
363:
361:
359:
357:
353:
346:
342:
339:
338:
334:
325:
320:
313:
308:
301:
296:
289:
284:
282:
276:
274:
268:
264:
260:
255:
253:
248:
241:
239:
237:
233:
229:
225:
221:
217:
213:
208:
206:
202:
198:
194:
190:
186:
182:
177:
169:
167:
165:
161:
156:
154:
153:
148:
140:
138:
136:
135:public health
132:
128:
124:
120:
116:
115:public health
112:
104:United States
103:
99:
96:
93:
89:
85:
81:
74:
73:
71:
67:
63:
59:
56:
53:
49:
46:
43:
39:
32:
27:
24:
19:
681:. Retrieved
678:phil.cdc.gov
677:
668:
656:. Retrieved
653:phil.cdc.gov
652:
643:
631:. Retrieved
628:phil.cdc.gov
627:
618:
606:. Retrieved
602:the original
597:
572:. Retrieved
569:phil.cdc.gov
568:
536:
529:
510:
500:
480:
473:
454:
444:
424:
386:. Retrieved
382:the original
377:
280:
267:Heidi Larson
256:
249:
245:
226:, exercise,
224:hand-washing
209:
173:
157:
150:
144:
131:immunization
110:
109:
22:
18:
378:www.cdc.gov
228:oral health
201:Fenway Park
189:Dick Radatz
91:Produced by
699:Categories
683:January 8,
658:January 8,
633:January 8,
608:January 8,
574:January 8,
388:January 7,
347:References
341:Zé Gotinha
216:diphtheria
133:and other
170:Campaigns
119:bumblebee
335:See also
212:dog sled
61:Language
277:Gallery
261:at the
252:vaccine
236:boosted
220:tetanus
195:of the
111:Wellbee
101:Country
69:Product
64:English
23:Wellbee
544:
517:
488:
461:
432:
242:Effect
230:, and
141:Origin
51:Market
41:Agency
537:Polio
685:2022
660:2022
635:2022
610:2022
576:2022
542:ISBN
515:ISBN
486:ISBN
459:ISBN
430:ISBN
390:2022
329:1964
317:1964
305:1963
293:1962
218:and
191:and
86:1962
199:at
701::
676:.
651:.
626:.
596:.
584:^
567:.
556:^
509:.
453:.
398:^
376:.
355:^
265:,
238:.
187:,
687:.
662:.
637:.
612:.
578:.
550:.
523:.
494:.
467:.
438:.
392:.
271:'
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
