CDC has decided to purchase its own island in the virtual world of Second Life to spread more health information through the Internet, Government Health IT reports.
The agency has spent about $2,000 to purchase and maintain the virtual island, which CDC officials hope to open to the public this fall. The island is located in proximity to another popular health destination, called HealthInfo Island, where users can obtain a wide range of health information.
John Anderton, CDC's associate director of communications, said the agency can reach a broad audience through its new island. Second Life users typically are about 30 years old, 57% are men, and many live outside of the U.S., Government Health IT reports (Bain, Government Health IT, 8/10).
CDC last fall also collaborated with a virtual world, called Whyville, where it conducted a campaign for children's avatars to be vaccinated against the "Why-Flu." The virtual flu vaccination cost CDC $2,000, Janice Nall, director of CDC's Division of e-Health Marketing, said (iHealthBeat, 2/26).
The federal agency spent $72 on its previous experimental space in Second Life (Government Health IT, 8/10).