White House Joins Snapchat to Encourage Covid-19 Vaccination for Youth in the United States

(CNN) – The White House partnered with Snapchat this week to encourage America’s youth to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Beginning Wednesday, Snapchat users will be able to wear an augmented reality lens featuring President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Anthony Fauci and viral immunologist Kizzmekia Corbett answering questions about the vaccine.

Hello friends, we have to get vaccinated. The new variants are affecting the young. Getting the vaccine will prevent you from infecting your friends and family. Let’s end the covid crisis once and for all, now, “says Biden during the augmented reality experience, which was first shared with CNN, which mimics a video call with the president.

The Snapchat experience also includes an augmented reality call with Vice President Kamala Harris, who shares a link to vacines.gov, where Snapchat users can find their closest vaccination sites, and lets them know that Uber and Lyft will provide rides. free to vaccination sites. Dr. Fauci also appears in the experience, telling Snapchat users that vaccines will protect them from current variants of covid-19.

“A fully vaccinated person at this time will be protected against the variants that are currently circulating in the country,” says Fauci.

The initiative comes as vaccination rates stabilize after a steady decline in recent weeks.

The United States has so far made significant progress in vaccinating adults. At least 25 states, plus Washington, have fully vaccinated at least half of their adult residents, data released Sunday by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.CDC, for its acronym in English).

But people 24 and younger receive vaccine doses at much lower rates than their older counterparts, according to CDC data. Experts are turning their attention to the fight against COVID-19 to vaccinate young Americans, warning that although they do not face a high probability of serious illness, they are still at risk of long-term symptoms if they contract the coronavirus.

The alliance between the White House and Snapchat

The augmented reality experience launched this Wednesday on Snapchat is the latest initiative by the White House to reach young Americans with information about covid-19 vaccines, to help meet the administration’s goal of 70% of Adults receive at least one coronavirus vaccine by July 4.

Earlier this week, the White House joined a group of YouTube creators for a virtual conversation to combat youth doubts about vaccines, Yahoo News reported. And last week, the White House partnered with several dating apps to offer incentives to clients who have been vaccinated against the coronavirus.

“We always focus on getting to know people where they are and giving them the information they need to get vaccinated. We also know that there are a lot of young people on Snapchat, and this lens is another way that President Biden and the administration are communicating directly with young people about how vaccines will protect them from this deadly virus and help our country take other steps toward get 70% of America fully vaccinated by July 4, “White House Chief Digital Officer Rob Flaherty said in a statement to CNN.

According to Snap Inc., Snapchat’s parent company, the app reaches 90% of young people ages 13-24 in the United States, as well as 75% of the US population ages 13-34.

“We are honored to partner with the White House to build an augmented reality experience to offer Snapchatters the opportunity to hear directly from trusted leaders about the common myths surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Sofia Gross, Director. of political associations and social impact at Snap Inc., in a statement.

“Given Snap’s ability to reach young people across the United States, we are working to help Snapchatters understand the role they play in their local communities and take it a step further to return to the things they love,” he added.

Biden and Fauci previously appeared with a covid-focused message during the relaunch of the White House Snapchat account in February.

– CNN’s Madeline Holcombe and Donald Judd contributed to this report.