Details - Public Health Image Library(PHIL)

ID#:

7225

Caption:

This color sketch, which was drawn in 1962, showed the Communicable Disease Center’s (CDC) national symbol of public health, the Wellbee, who was depicted here, twirling a lariat. CDC artist, Harold M. Walker, who had previously worked as an animator in Hollywood, California, created the iconic character. CDC used Wellbee in a comprehensive marketing campaign that included newspapers, posters, leaflets, radio and television, as well as personal appearances at public health events. Wellbee’s first assignment was to sponsor Sabin Type II oral polio vaccine (OPV) campaigns across the United States. Later, Wellbee’s character was incorporated into other health promotion campaigns that included diphtheria and tetanus immunizations, hand-washing, physical fitness, and injury prevention. This artifact can be viewed, by visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) David J. Sencer CDC Museum, located in Atlanta, Georgia.