NBC has announced Roll Up Your Sleeves, an hour-long special produced in partnership with Walgreens and Civic Nation’s Made to Save Initiative for the purpose of “educating viewers, raising awareness and dispelling concerns surrounding the COVID-19 vaccines, all with the goal of increasing vaccination rates to put an end to the pandemic.” The special airs Sunday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. Eastern/Pacific.
To make the “education of viewers” more engaging, a whole flock of Hollywood celebrities, athletes, and pop stars are invited. It is announced that singer Ciara and her husband, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, will host the special. The all-star event will include appearances by President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama — who will speak alongside NBA legends Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal — as well as Michelle Obama, Sterling K. Brown, Lana Condor, Billy Crystal, Eric Dane, Ryan Eggold, Dr. Vin Gupta, Faith Hill, Jennifer Hudson, Dale Jarrett, Ken Jeong, Joe Jonas, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Lopez, Demi Lovato, Joel McHale, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Kumail Nanjiani, Ellen Pompeo, Amanda Seyfried, Jane Seymour, and Wanda Sykes.
Many average Americans likely don’t know who all these people are, but they are supposed to be relevant, credible, and knowledgeable enough to raise awareness and teach us about the importance of being vaccinated against COVID-19. After all, if the vaccine is good enough for J-Lo, why don’t you run to get one at your local vaccination site? If Michelle Obama says that vaccines are safe, why would you doubt it? The central message of this elite event is that “getting the COVID-19 vaccine is a crucial step for Americans to return to the activities they love.”
As the icing on the cake, actor Matthew McConaughey will interview Dr. Anthony Fauci in a segment meant to “separate fact from fiction with regard to the Covid-19 vaccine and urging all Americans to do their part in getting the vaccine when eligible.” For COVID-19, experts estimate that between 70 percent and 90 percent of a community would need to be immunized against the virus to achieve herd immunity, although the exact number is not known.
As of today, approximately 40 percent of American adults have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, but hesitancy surrounding vaccination remains strong. A recent NPR/Marist poll found that one in four Americans said they would refuse a coronavirus vaccine outright if offered, with a significant number of people across all ages and demographic groups who claim they will say “no.” The hesitancy is notably stronger among Republicans. Forty-one percent of people who identify as Republicans, including 49 percent of GOP-leaning men, said they had no plans of getting a shot. Among Democratic-leaning men, only six percent said the same.
Dr. Fauci blames none other than former President Donald Trump for Republicans’ vaccine hesitancy. “I just don’t get it,” Fauci said, frustrated, on NBC’s Meet the Press when asked about the polling. “We’ve got to dissociate political persuasion from common sense, no-brainer public health things.”
While it might be a “no-brainer” to Fauci, the official narrative surrounding vaccines looks at least suspicious to many. The biggest contributing factor to such mistrust is the inconsistency of Dr. Fauci himself. Even COVID “basics” are unclear and ambiguous. “Don’t wear a mask,” he said last March. One year later, he wears two masks after being vaccinated and says he didn’t recommend wearing a mask due to their shortage.
When the World Health Organization observed that asymptomatic transmission was “very rare,” Fauci dismissed the notion as “wrong” and pushed for lockdowns for everyone, even though previously he suggested that asymptomatic transmission exists, but doesn’t drive the spread. Furthermore, depending on whom you listen to regarding the “six feet” of social-distancing that Americans are supposed to follow, six feet is either not enough distance, as sometimes droplets with viruses may linger in the air, or more than enough, and keeping three feet away from others is safe.
Another reason for mistrust to Fauci and leftist celebrities who will advertise the vaccine is their strong political bias. They blast the Republican governors who lift restrictions while experiencing a drop in cases, and admire the Democrats who keep the lockdowns strict, and see high infection rates.
Vaccine safety is a major concern, too. Even the CDC has announced that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, for instance, is being put on “pause” after multiple people developed blood clots (and one died). This particular vaccine has already been administered to 6.8 million Americans. Regarding the AstraZeneca vaccine, many countries around the world either restrict or reject its use owing to the blood clots that some patients develop after being vaccinated.
On that note, why even get a vaccine if Dr. Fauci himself says that it won’t let people get back to normal life, and that people might still need two wear a mask (or two) after being vaccinated? Was not the main reason for being vaccinated so we didn’t have to wear masks and suffer through lockdowns? “If you are vaccinated, please remember that you still have to be careful and not get involved in crowded situations, particularly indoors where people are not wearing masks,” Fauci said recently.
Dr. Fauci, the Obamas, Ciara, Russell Wilson, and the other celebrities surely put a lot of effort into producing Roll Up Your Sleeves, but most Americans will probably skip it.
