Nickelodeon to feature Fauci in clips answering kids’ questions about COVID-19

Nickelodeon plans to feature top infectious diseases expert Anthony Fauci in video clips answering children’s questions about COVID-19 and the pandemic starting this weekend.

Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), will appear in Nickelodeon’s “Nick News Breaks,” which are one-minute segments designed to frame news and important issues for children. 

The four “Nick News Breaks” that Fauci is slated to appear on will start airing Saturday and continue through the weekend on Nick, TeenNick, Nicktoons and on Nickelodeon’s social media. 

In the four videos, six children pose questions to the infectious diseases expert about how COVID-19 affects their lives. Ella, 6, asks Fauci when she will be able to have play dates again.

“You know Ella I would hope that by the time we get to the late spring and early summer you could start having play dates,” he said. “So hang on a little bit longer. We’re going in the right direction.”

Ten-year-old Jade questioned Fauci on whether she needed the vaccine if she lives with her grandmother part-time and whether she can hug her. 

“Well if your grandmother is vaccinated, even though you’re not vaccinated, you don’t have to wear a mask when you’re with her, and you can go back and get one of her really big hugs,” Fauci responded. 

Natalie, 11, posed a question to Fauci asking whether she will be able to have a birthday party this year. 

“Natalie, it depends on when your birthday is,” he answered. “I didn’t have my birthday this year. Usually I have all of my daughters and my family come in and have a big meal together, and we didn’t do that this year.”

“So I’m hoping that next year I’ll be able to have it,” he continued. “So I’m wishing the same thing for you that when you have your 12th birthday, Natalie, that you’re going to be able to have a party. So let’s keep our fingers crossed.”

In another video, Jesai, 13, asked, “Why does the information about COVID-19 keep changing on the news?”

“That’s a good question,” Fauci answered. “Information changes only when you get new factual data and evidence. And since we’re still continuing to learn more and more every week, every month, sometimes recommendations that you wanna make based on data — they can change only when the data and the evidence change.”

“Nick News Breaks” first started this year and have delved into issues such as the Capitol riots, former President Trump’s second impeachment and the COVID-19 vaccine.