Fauci Says Young People Don't Trust Him Because he is 'An Old Guy' in Exchance With Pop Star Olivia Rodrigo

White House senior medical adviser and the United States' top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said that young Americans are hesitant to trust him because they see him as "an old guy" who only appears on their TV to tell them to get the coronavirus vaccine.

During an interview with pop star Olivia Rodrigo, Fauci revealed that he was really excited to talk with the young music artist because she was under the category of what the medical expert called a "trusted messenger." On Monday, Teen Vogue shared the clip on YouTube in an attempt to encourage young citizens to get vaccinated.

Vaccination in Young People

In the exchange, Fauci said young Americans only saw an old guy in a suit telling a young person to be vaccinated. He noted that the majority of the audience would be hesitant to accept the words of someone like him.

The nation's top infectious disease expert explained that the coronavirus vaccine should be administered to young people for two main reasons, one is to ensure their own safety, and the second is to prevent the virus from spreading even further and reaching vulnerable people.

Fauci said that while it was true that young people were less likely to develop severe symptoms if infected by the COVID-19 virus, the chance was not zero. He added that if young people get vaccinated, they can stop the infection from spreading to other people and eventually affecting someone old or someone with an underlying medical condition, Daily Caller reported.

The infectious disease expert said Rodrigo was someone who the younger generation admired. He said that when they hear her speak, someone they respect, they are more likely to believe, and that makes all the difference. Fauci said that was the main reason that officials were excited to have the young pop star join the cause of encouraging young people to get vaccinated.

Importance of Getting Inoculated

Rodrigo currently has the No. 1 album in the United States and her song "Drivers License" has constantly been played on the radio for several months. The 18-year-old pop sensation visited the White House to record public service announcement videos with President Biden and Fauci. She also made an appearance in the White House briefing room to encourage people to get the vaccine, NPR reported.

The Biden administration hopes that with Rodrigo's support, the barrier that is hindering the vaccination of more people will be removed. In the age range of Americans between 18 to 24 years old, only about 42% have been fully vaccinated, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed. The number falls short of nearly 60% of all American adults in the country already being vaccinated.

The official POTUS Twitter account posted the first of the videos with Rodrigo promoting the vaccine to young Americans. In the footage, the pop star notes that getting the vaccine was the best way to protect not only yourself but also to keep the virus from infecting your friends and your loved ones, who may be at risk of developing severe symptoms from the coronavirus disease, 8News Now reported.

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United States, Vaccination