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Sunday 4 July 2021

'Tell all of your TikTok buddies to get vaccinated': Dr. Fauci teams up with TikTok influencers to encourage young people to get their COVID shots amid low vaccination rates

 Dr. Anthony Fauci took to TikTok to spread the word on the importance of the COVID-19 vaccine this week, telling some of the app's top personalities to use their platform to spread the word on getting the jab.

'Tell all of your TikTok buddies to get vaccinated,' he told social media and former 'Dance Moms' star Nia Sioux.

'I will, I'll tell all my besties,' Sioux replied in a TikTok video she uploaded on Thursday.


The app itself has become a massive platform for younger generations. Sioux has 7.4 million followers and 152.7 million likes on TikTok, with Fauci reaching a potential 16 million users alone in the three conversations he had on the app throughout the week.

'Tell all of your TikTok buddies to get vaccinated,' he told social media and former 'Dance Moms' star Nia Sioux

'Tell all of your TikTok buddies to get vaccinated,' he told social media and former 'Dance Moms' star Nia Sioux

Fauci dispelled some common myths about the vaccine in a conversation with 22-year-old Mia Finney, a verified TikToker with 6.4 million followers

Fauci dispelled some common myths about the vaccine in a conversation with 22-year-old Mia Finney, a verified TikToker with 6.4 million followers

Only 30 percent of white residents between 18 and 24 being at least partially vaccinated and just 14 percent of African American and black residents in the same age group

Only 30 percent of white residents between 18 and 24 being at least partially vaccinated and just 14 percent of African American and black residents in the same age group

On behalf of the White House and the US Department of Health and Human Services, Fauci, one of the nation's leading experts in infectious diseases, answered questions from the popular TikTok stars and discussed the myriad of myths surrounding the vaccine in a move to increase vaccination rates among youths.

'There are multiple myths going on out there, from anything from aliens taking over your body to becoming magnetic to get[ting] a chip injected in you. It's all nonsense, so please help us debunk that stuff,' Fauci said in a conversation with 22-year-old Mia Finney, a verified TikToker with 6.4 million followers. 

'If you get Covid, recover and then get vaccinated, your level of protection will be extremely high. The CDC still recommends that even though you've been infected that you should get vaccinated for the extra degree of protection,' Fauci told Finney. 


'Something is wrong in getting the word out to our young people,' said Washington DC Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton in response to the shockingly low vaccination rates among young people.

For her part, Finney was glad to help out in spreading the word to get vaccinated to young people, captioning her video with Dr. Fauci with 'this was the highlight of my week, everyone do your part and stay safe! #madetosave.'

'I think it was important for me to give people that information,' Finney said. 'At the end of the day, it's everyone's right to get the vaccine or not, but the fact that I was able to provide information for them I think was the greatest impact that I had.' 

White House spokesman Kevin Munoz said the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services got Dr. Fauci in contact with the TikTok influencers, and especially one's in the younger age demographic they're looking to reach, according to CNN.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 47.3 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 have received at least one vaccine dose, with only 31.9 percent being fully vaccinated, and just 52.6 percent of 25- to 39-year-olds have received at least a first dose and 43.6 percent are fully vaccinated.  

Meanwhile, teenage vaccination rates are even lower, including 12-to 15-year-olds who were cleared recently to get the vaccine and the 16- and 17-year-olds who have been already eligible for the shot.

The CDC reports 28.3 percent of that age demographic and 41.5 percent of teens ages 16 and 17 have received at least their first vaccine shot, with only 17.8 percent and 31.9 percent being fully vaccinated, respectively.

Abby and Matt Howard, who have 2.2 million followers and 123.3 million likes, also spoke to Dr. Fauci and uploaded the video of their conversation

Abby and Matt Howard, who have 2.2 million followers and 123.3 million likes, also spoke to Dr. Fauci and uploaded the video of their conversation

The Biden Administration has gone to great lengths to reach that younger demographic, having partnered with Snapchat and creating the 'White House Covid-19 College Vaccine Challenge' in an effort to get universities to recommend or even mandate college students to receive the vaccine.

The administration even created a student COVID-19 community corps, which is training student-age youths to spread the proper information about the vaccine in their local communities.

'The goal of the student community corps is to one, recognize the power that young people have to not only get vaccinated, but to help their peers get vaccinated. And it's also to recognize that inherent in that power is the fact that young people often want to hear from other young people,' Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy said last month. 

Abby and Matt Howard, who have 2.2 million followers and 123.3 million likes, also spoke to Dr. Fauci and uploaded the video of their conversation.

'There's so much misinformation, and we just want to be a part  

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