Olivia Rodrigo visits the White House to encourage the youth to get vaccinated
Pop star Olivia Rodrigo visited the White House recently, upon the invitation of US President Joe Biden and coronavirus advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci, to urge the youth to get vaccinated.
Wearing a vintage Chanel tweed skirt-suit and Giuseppe Zanotti platform heels, the 18-year-old Fil-Am teen pop sensation arrived at the White House to speak before the press and record videos about why it’s important to get young people vaccinated, and answering questions that people might have about the COVID-19 vaccines.
“I’m in awe of the work President Biden and Dr. Fauci have done,” said Rodrigo, who took to the podium to address the press in the White House briefing room.
Olivia Rodrigo is at the White House today to meet with President Biden and Dr. Fauci and discuss the importance of young Americans getting vaccinated. pic.twitter.com/s95KtOkrsF
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) July 14, 2021
“It’s important to have conversations with friends and family members, encouraging all communities to get vaccinated,” she said.
She added that this can be done “more easily than ever before, given how many sites we have and how easy it is to find them.”
Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the Drivers License singer, who has over 28-million strong followers across social media, “offered to come” to the White House to deliver a message to fans that “getting vaccinated is a way to keep yourself safe, a way to ensure you can see your friends, a way you can go to concerts.”
In the US, 48 percent of the population has been vaccinated but the inoculation drive has slowed down, with young people among the main groups failing to get their shots, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Ahead of Rodrigo’s visit to the White House, Dr. Fauci told MSNBC that the singer’s impact as a popular figure among the younger set with a massive following is crucial to his and President Biden's mission to get "trusted messengers" to share the message about COVID-19 vaccinations.
While at the White House, Rodrigo also spoke with Vice President Kamala Harris and had a photo-op at the VP’s office.
Rodrigo also had a light moment with President Biden at the Oval Office, with them being photographed wearing Biden’s signature aviators.
“Thanks for stopping by, Olivia, and for using your voice to urge young people to get vaccinated,” said Biden in an Instagram post.
Meanwhile, the singer-songwriter, whose album “Sour” is currently the No. 1 selling album in the US, posted on Instagram a selfie of herself and Biden, which currently has 4.8 million likes, with a message to her followers.
“Even if you are young and not immunocompromised, getting your COVID vaccination is the best thing you can do for your health and your loved ones’ health. You have the power to save lives,” she said.
Banner and thumbnail photos from the @WhiteHouse on Twitter