President Joe Biden this week collaborated with makeup YouTuber Manny MUA to promote the COVID-19 vaccines, referring to the jab as an “obligation” for all Americans, including young people.
Manny MUA, real name Manny Gutierrez, prefaced the video by telling his followers that he’s not trying to pressure them into getting the vaccine.
“Whether you guys want to get it or not, that’s up to your prerogative, for sure,” Manny said, adding, “America: land of the free will; you guys can do whatever the heck you want to do. Of course, I am pro-vaccine.”
The Biden administration has taken a different tone. Last month, President Biden notably posted a tweet telling Americans that they have to get vaccinated if they ever want to remove their masks. Moreover, during the collaboration with Manny, POTUS said it is Americans’ “obligation” to get the vaccine, including even young and healthy Americans.
The rule is now simple: get vaccinated or wear a mask until you do.
The choice is yours.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 13, 2021
“I think it’s an obligation, an obligation to help your fellow man,” Biden said after Manny asked if young healthy people need to be vaccinated, too. “An obligation to make sure that, even if it’s only a small percentage possibility that you could be a carrier of and spread the disease, that you have an obligation.”
Manny asked Dr. Anthony Fauci, who appeared alongside POTUS, the same question. In his response, Fauci suggested even children should be vaccinated.
“Well certainly young children, even though statistically when they get infected it’s unlikely that they would have a serious disease compared to an elderly person or a person who has an underlying condition, but they are not exempt from getting serious illness,” he said. “So you want to protect the youngsters, be them adolescents, be them young children, you want to protect them, there’s no doubt about it.”
Biden also dismissed worries over “vaccine passports,” saying there will not be a federal system indicating who is and isn’t vaccinated.
Notably, The Washington Post reported at the end of March that the “Biden administration is working on creating a set of standards for people to prove they’ve been vaccinated against Covid-19, according to an administration official,” according to CNN.
“The official said they’re currently working with a range of companies on the standards, including non-profits and tech companies, adding that they are likely still weeks away from being finalized, the official said,” the report continued. “Multiple government agencies are engaged in conversations and planning, coordinated by the White House, as this kind of system will play a role in multiple aspects of life, including potentially the workforce, another senior administration official told CNN.”
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has said that there will not be a “federal vaccinations database” or a “federal mandate requiring everyone to obtain a single vaccination credential,” but emphasized that she “expects the private sector to drive ‘a determination or development of a vaccine passport, or whatever you want to call it,'” CNN noted.
“President Joe Biden has predicted that life in the US could be back to normal by Christmas, and as more Americans are vaccinated each day, these vaccine credentials — commonly called ‘vaccine passports’ — could be key to a return to normalcy by the end of the year,” the report added.
Manny has nearly 5 million subscribers on his YouTube channel. The video with Biden and Fauci has racked up almost 300,000 views; 18,000 have “liked” the post, and 14,000 have given it a thumbs down.
The YouTuber captioned the video, in part: “HEY GUYS THIS IS NOT A DRILL!!!!! I am so shook that I had the opportunity to speak with president biden and dr fauci! thank you to my team and to the white house for making this happen! I was shakingggg yall [sic] literally shaking but I think it turned out pretty good hahah.”
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Related: ‘The Choice Is Yours’: Biden Demands Americans Wear Masks Until Vaccinated