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Olivia Rodrigo wants her fans to be happy and healthy and vaccinated against COVID-19.
The “good 4 u” songstress, who also stars in “High School Musical: The Musical: The Series” on Disney+, is set to meet with President Joe Biden and his chief medical advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci at the White House on Wednesday to participate in a social media campaign urging young people to get their COVID-19 vaccination shots.
© Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP
Actress Olivia Rodrigo glances as she enters the West Wing of the White House, Wednesday, July 14, 2021. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) ORG XMIT: DCMC102
The 18-year-old singer spoke briefly during a press briefing to discuss the importance of young people getting vaccinated.
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“I am beyond honored and humbled to be here today to help spread the message about the importance of youth vaccinations. I’m in awe of the work President Biden and Dr. Fauci have done and was happy to lend my support for this important initiative,” Rodrigo said Wednesday.
“It’s important to have conversations with friends and family members encouraging all communities to get vaccinated and actually get to a vaccination site. … Thank you all for helping share this important message. It’s so appreciated.”
Earlier that morning, photos showed Rodrigo in a pink plaid blazer, matching skirt and white platform heels with black socks arriving to the White House. In videos circulating on social media, Rodrigo was seen walking into the West Wing.
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© Manuel Balce Ceneta, AP
Rodrigo glances as she enters the West Wing of the White House.
Rodrigo made waves in pop culture with the May release of her chart-topping debut album, “Sour.” In a June interview with USA TODAY, the singer-songwriter opened up about writing music that connects to people of all ages.
“I was just so pleased that it connected with people older than me,” Rodrigo said of the album. “Even if you’re not going through a heartbreak it can take you back to a time when you were experiencing feelings like that. My favorite part about music is that it can transport you to different places. My songs can transport a 50-year-old man back to when he was 18 going through his first heartbreak. And not something I take for granted.”
Rodrigo’s solo debut with “drivers license,” the pop ballad about a lost love, went viral on social media and broke Spotify’s record for most streams of a song in a single week. It even got a stamp of approval from Taylor Swift, who responded to Rodrigo’s success by posting “that’s my baby and i’m so proud.”
© Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images
Pop music star and Disney actress Olivia Rodrigo arrives at the White House on July 14, 2021 in Washington, DC. Rodrigo is partnering with the White House to promote COVID-19 vaccination outreach to her young fans.
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Two days after his administration came up short in its goal to have 70% of U.S. adults at least partially vaccinated by July 4, Biden unveiled new initiatives aimed at the one-third of the eligible U.S. population that has not gotten any COVID-19 vaccine shots, focusing on providing easier access.
He outlined several areas his team is emphasizing to ramp up vaccination efforts, including door-to-door outreach, sending vaccines to health care providers and pediatricians who can encourage adolescents to get shots, wider availability at pharmacies and expanding mobile clinics and vaccination sites for workers.
“We are emerging from one of the darkest years in our nation’s history into a summer of hope and joy,” Biden said. “We can’t get complacent now. The best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family and the people you care about the most is to get vaccinated.’’
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Contributing: Rasha Ali, Kelly Lawler, Jorge L. Ortiz, John Bacon
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Olivia Rodrigo speaks in support of ‘important’ Biden, Fauci vaccine campaign: ‘Beyond honored’
