Washington works with social media influencers to promote vaccination

The U.S. government released a plan to capitalize on influencers to increase vaccination rates in regions with only a small number of the vaccinated amid the increasing spread of the COVID-19 across the nation. The gist is to work with teenage influencers admired by hundreds of thousands or millions of young followers on social media to help boost vaccinations for the younger generations who show lower vaccination rates than the older.

Around 50 young famous influencers on TikTok, YouTube and Twitch have joined Washington's efforts in promoting the vaccination program, according to the New York Times. The majority of the young social media stars had multiple video conferences behind the scenes with the White House and learned how vaccines work and what effects they can bring to the human body system. They have since then encouraged young people to get vaccinated by sharing videos of getting a jab or explaining the mechanism of vaccines. In exchange for making and sharing such viral content, some top-tier influencers get paid up to 1,000 dollars per month by the U.S. government.

Ellie Zeiler, 17, San Diego, is one of the most high-profile figures among the younger generations with around 10.2 million followers on TikTok or a video-sharing social media platform. She was offered by a marketing firm in June to join the government-led vaccination endorsement campaign. As the White House asked her to reply as soon as possible emphasizing that it is urgently important to let teenagers 12 to 18 years old learn why getting a jab matters to their health, Zeiler immediately shared a surprise Q&A video with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases..

Only fewer than half the U.S. population group aged 18 to 39 have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, in marked contrast to those in their 50s or above, two-thirds of which have fully vaccinated. As high as 58 percent of students 12 to 17 years old have not got any jab yet.

What made Washington seek paid help from social media stars is a growing volume of false or misleading information about vaccination across social media that vaccines can make you sterile or get your DNAs modified oddly.


lightee@donga.com