The CDC, or the Centers for Disease Control, has been in the news a lot lately. But what is the CDC? And what does it do? Today’s Civics Short takes a closer look at the who, what, where, and whys of the CDC.
Transcript
NOTE: This transcript was generated using an automated transcription service, and may contain typographical errors.
Civics 101 Short
The CDC
Nick Capodice: [00:00:00] Hello dear listeners Nick Capodice here.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:00:02] Hannah McCarthy here.
Nick Capodice: [00:00:04] This is our second episode of what we're calling Civics Shorts.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:00:07] They are created with middle schoolers in mind.
Nick Capodice: [00:00:09] But, any human can listen to it of any age and get something out of it.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:00:13] Because of the Coronavirus outbreak, and quarantining, and social isolation we thought a Short on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention might be helpful.
Nick Capodice: [00:00:22] So without further ado, the CDC brought to you by Jacqui Fulton. Enjoy.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:00:30] Do you remember the scene in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs wehre Dopey has the flyswatter?
Disney: [00:00:36] Are there six or seven people in the audience who will volunteer to help us combat this evil? Good. Well, thank you men.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:00:47] Wait, what? I don't remember this scene.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:00:50] Well, that's because he's actually not from the movie.But is a public service announcement put out by the government starring the dwarfs.
Disney: [00:00:59] Before we can attack the enemy there are certain facts we must know. The first and all important fact is this, the anopheles mosquito must have water to lay her eggs in. All right men now we can begin to fight.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:01:13] Fight?
Disney: [00:01:15] Yes, we've got to kill every one in the house.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:01:18] Dopey is trying to kill a mosquito that's landed on Grumpy's throat with that fly swatter. He lifts up his beard and whacks him in the neck. Grumpy returns the favor by hitting Dopey over the head with a chisel. This video is called Winged Scorge, a public service announcement about the prevention of malaria.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:01:41] Oh just thinking about this is making me itch.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:01:44] During World War II 60,000 soldiers died. Not on the battlefield, but from Malaria.
Army PSA: [00:01:52] This is Corregidor, where May 1942 soldiers of the United States Army were humiliated as never before in their history. Prior to this surrender 85% of our men, 9 out of 10, had already surrendered to a different enemy. Who is that enemy? The malaria carrying mosquito.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:02:13] Okay, it sounds like something had to be done.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:02:15] In 1946 the government started a new department. Their mission, to get rid of malaria. I'm Jacqui.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:02:24] I'm Jimmy. Today on Civics 101 Shorts, we're gonna give you the who, why, and how of the new malaria fighting department, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention- or the CDC?
Jacqui Fulton: [00:02:38] The CDC is part of the Department of Health and Human Services.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:02:42] And is headquartered in the ATL, Atlanta, Georgia, once a hotspot for malaria in the U.S.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:02:48] But the CDC doesn't just work in the United States.They help folks across the world.
CDC Video: [00:02:54] Right here we are trying to get some samples from the bats because there's an outbreak right now. There's a current outbreak of rabies in cattle in this area...
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:03:04] Because diseases spread.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:03:06] And the CDC wants to stop them in their tracks-.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:03:09] Before they get the chance to infect Americans.So in 1946, when the CDC was created, they swung into action to fight malaria.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:03:21] They sprayed insecticides, passed out mosquito nets-.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:03:25] Provided medication, educated folks on getting rid of any standing water-.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:03:29] In three years malaria was under control in the United States.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:03:33] The CDC moved on to fight the other big health battles at the time.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:03:36] Sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis.Who. The CDC has super high tech labs, including an insectary.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:03:47] Oh, a lab full of bugs.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:03:49] Because insects carry so many diseases.
CDC Video: [00:03:52] Inside the CDC insectary researchers are working on ways to keep people healthy by reducing the transmission or spread of malaria in areas where it occurs. And to ensure this disease doesn't return to the places where it no longer exists.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:04:09] All kinds of people work for the CDC.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:04:10] Doctors
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:04:12] Lawyers
Jacqui Fulton: [00:04:13] Communications specialists.My favorites are called Disease Detectives.How.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:04:21] You've probably seen doctors on TV wearing big hazmat suits.
News Anchor: [00:04:24] Then you've got to get into the suit and get it off without touching any of the dirty surfaces.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:04:30] Part of their tactics is going into places with breakouts and treating diseases.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:04:36] They track down who's had contact with the disease so they can control the spread of it.
CDC Video: [00:04:42] We can help countries to pick up new threats, to confirm them in the laboratory, to investigate clusters of disease, and ultimately to treat patients and contain a new disease threat before it spreads around the world. Diseases cross borders and what happens...
Jacqui Fulton: [00:05:00] But the CDC doesn't just treat diseases.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:05:03] A huge part of their mission is to prevent disease outbreaks in the first place.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:05:07] The best way to do that is by educating people on how to avoid getting sick.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:05:12] Like with the coronavirus.
CDC Video: [00:05:14] I'm Dr. Nancy Messineo from CDC. It's really important that we protect those who are most vulnerable to Covid 19, and that's older adults and people with underlying illnesses.
CDC Video: [00:05:26] Cover your cough and sneezes. Wash your hands often avoid sharing personal items.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:05:32] Why.
Jimmy Gutierrez: [00:05:34] People need protection from disease and need scientific information on health threats. It saves lives.Remember all those soldiers dying from malaria? Another thing the CDC does is help you prepare for travel abroad, to know what diseases you might need, vaccinations or medications you'll need before you go.
Jacqui Fulton: [00:06:01] The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is tasked with protecting you, our nation and our world. Just ask Dopey while they teach him how to battle malaria carrying mosquitoes.
Disney: [00:06:14] Attaboy Dopey. Kill her good and dead.
Nick Capodice: [00:06:26] So to summarize, the CDC is an extremely important agency.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:06:30] Who are they? They're scientists and doctors and they do all kinds of different jobs.
Nick Capodice: [00:06:35] And how do they help? They control and treat diseases. They educate people to prevent the disease from happening in the first place.And why do we need the CDC?
Hannah McCarthy: [00:06:42] Because to do everything else we do as Americans we've got to have our health. This episode was produced by Jacqui Fulton with Jimmy Gutierrez. Erika Janik is NHPR's editorial flyswatter. Maureen McMurray runs a wellness blog but I'm not allowed to tell you the name.
Nick Capodice: [00:06:56] And by the way, if you'd like to see the Disney film Winged Scourge with doping in the flyswatter, a link is in the show notes and on our website. It is truly something to behold.
Hannah McCarthy: [00:07:05] Civic shorts are brought to you in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and are a production of NHPR, New Hampshire Public Radio.