This week, the White House is collaborating with Snapchat to encourage American youth to get vaccinated against the coronavirus. Snapchat users can utilize an augmented reality lens to answer questions about the vaccine. The lens features President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and viral immunologist Kizzmekia Corbett. During the augmented reality experience, which simulates a video call with the president, Biden states that new variants are affecting young people. He emphasizes that getting vaccinated will prevent them from spreading the virus to their friends and family and urges everyone to help end the COVID-19 crisis.
The Snapchat experience also includes an augmented reality call from Kamala Harris, who shares a link to Vaccines.gov. Snapchat users can find the nearest vaccination sites through that link. It also informs users that Uber and Lyft are offering free rides to vaccination locations. Additionally, the experience provides information from Dr. Anthony Fauci, who tells Snapchat users that vaccines protect them from the current strains of the coronavirus.
This initiative comes as vaccination rates stabilize following a steady decline over the past several weeks. Meanwhile, the United States has made significant progress in vaccinating adults. Data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that at least 25 states, along with Washington, D.C., have vaccinated at least half of their adult populations. However, individuals aged 24 and younger are receiving vaccine doses at much lower rates than their older counterparts. Experts are shifting their focus in the fight against COVID-19 to vaccinating American youth. They warn young people that while they may not face a high risk of severe illness, they remain vulnerable to long-term symptoms if they contract the virus.
Snapchat's efforts to combat COVID-19 represent the latest in the White House's initiatives to engage American youth regarding COVID-19 vaccines. The U.S. administration aims for 70% of adults to receive at least one shot by July 4. Earlier this week, the White House teamed up with a group of content creators on YouTube to hold a virtual discussion aimed at combating vaccine hesitancy among young people. Last week, the White House collaborated with several applications to provide incentives for customers who have been vaccinated against COVID-19. Snapchat has a large audience of young people, and this lens serves as a direct communication method from President Biden to them. The government's choice to use Snapchat for this purpose underscores the app's growing influence, reaching 90% of youth aged 13 to 24 in the United States, as well as 75% of those aged 13 to 34.
