Olivia Rodrigo, who recently released the hit songs ‘good 4 u’ and ‘driver’s license’ along with her album ‘Sour,’ plans to encourage young people to receive their Covid-19 vaccinations with President Joe Biden on Wednesday. She intends to visit the White House on July 14 in order to help promote vaccinations among younger Americans.
Rodrigo will meet with both President Biden and Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). According to a CNN source, Rodrigo hopes to “record videos about the importance of young people getting vaccinated, including answering important questions young people have about getting vaccinated.” These videos will be released on Rodrigo’s social media platforms and on the White House’s Instagram as well. With 14.4 million followers on Instagram and 9.3 million followers on TikTok, Rodrigo’s videos could be extremely influential for her enormous, young fanbase.
Rodrigo’s impending visit seems to be part of the White House initiative to increase vaccination rates in the United States, particularly after the country failed to meet Biden’s July 4 vaccination goal. CNN also cited data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which states that only 33.5% of Americans aged 12 to 15 have received one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, with 24.9% fully vaccinated. Similarly, 45.5% of people aged 16-17 have received one dose, with 37.1% fully vaccinated. The president has recruited Rodrigo to use her large platform to encourage young people to do their part in ending the pandemic.
President Biden promoted Rodrigo’s Wednesday visit with an Instagram post this morning. He posted a photo of himself in his twenties, with the caption, “I know this young person would’ve gotten vaccinated, but we’ve got to get other young people vaccinated as well.” Rodrigo commented, “I’m in! see you tomorrow at the white house!” to which the president replied, “You bet!”
