Scientists are looking for the next Elvis Presley to tamp down resistance to the COVID vaccine … and if they’re lucky they’ll find someone as effective as The King.
Dr. Anthony Fauci has already said he’s looking for celebrities, athletes and other influencers to shoot video of them taking the vaccine, to assuage fears and skepticism, which is considerable.
Turns out back in 1956, when polio was raging in the U.S., a huge percentage of young people resisted Jonas Salk‘s vaccine. In New York City, only 10% of young people got the shot a full year after it was on the market.
Enter Elvis … who agreed to become the poster boy for the vaccine. The March of Dimes recruited him to get a shot while photographers snapped away. Elvis obliged, smiling as he got stuck, and it made a difference.
The question … who’s today’s Elvis? Beyonce‘s a candidate, for sure, but times are more complicated and people more cynical. Polio didn’t become a political football the way COVID has, so it’s going to be harder. Fact is … the most influential person to influence others might be Dr. Fauci himself, who’s about to turn 80.
Happy birthday, and please save us.