Pop star and actress Olivia Rodrigo wants her fans to be “happy and healthy.”
Rodrigo, singer of summer hits “Drivers License,” “Good 4 U,” and “Déjà Vu” is heading to the White House Wednesday to do her part to increase Covid-19 vaccination outreach to the crucial demographic of young people.
Rodrigo, 18, will be meeting with President Joe Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci, a White House official said.
She will also “record videos about the importance of young people getting vaccinated, including answering important questions young people have about getting vaccinated,” the official said, which comes as the administration continues to make a push to get more Americans vaccinated amid rising cases and a slowing pace of vaccinations.
The videos, per the White House official, will be featured on Rodrigo’s social media channels and the White House’s social pages. Rodrigo has more than 28 million followers across her channels, the official noted.
The deployment of the young singer to raise awareness on vaccines comes as the Delta variant poses a particular threat to the nation’s young people, who still lag far behind in vaccinations.
As of this week, 33.5% of Americans age 12 to 15 have received at least one dose of vaccine, with 24.9% fully vaccinated, per data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Forty-five and a half percent of Americans 16 to 17 have received at least one dose, with 37.1% fully vaccinated. And 50.5% of Americans 18 to 24 have had at least one dose, with 41.6% fully vaccinated, all of these younger groups far behind the national average.
The White House has acknowledged there is significant work to do to reach this group.
“Where the country has more work to do is particularly with 18- to 26-year-olds. The reality is: Many younger Americans have felt like COVID-19 is not something that impacts them and they’ve been less eager to get the shot,” White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients told reporters last month.
Zients continued, “However, with the Delta variant now spreading across the country and infecting younger people worldwide, it’s more important than ever that they get vaccinated.”
Biden on Tuesday posted an Instagram photo of his younger self, captioned, “I know this young person would’ve gotten vaccinated, but we’ve got to get other young people protected as well. Who’s willing to help?”
Rodrigo commented, “i’m in! see you tomorrow at the white house!”