Anthony Fauci Reassures Kids He Gave Santa the COVID Vaccine: 'He's Good to Go'

While many people are expecting the Christmas season this year to be very different than normal, children across the world can rest assured that Santa Claus will still deliver presents. In a CNN appearance on Saturday, Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, told kids that the man in the red suit has received the vaccine and will be OK to deliver gifts on Christmas Eve.

Introduced by Sesame Street's Elmo, children asked Fauci hard-hitting questions, including how did Kris Kringle get the vaccine and how can he safely deliver presents to kids who have been good all year long. "Will Santa still be able to visit me in coronavirus this season? What if he can't go to anyone's house or near his reindeer?" one child said.

With a smile, Fauci said he himself had vaccinated Saint Nick, who would still be able to make his annual visit down the chimney.

"Well, I have to say I took care of that for you, because I was worried that you'd all be upset. What I did a little while ago, I took a trip up there to the North Pole. I went there, and I vaccinated Santa Claus myself. I measured his level of immunity, and he is good to go," he said.

"He can come down the chimney. He can leave the presents...you have nothing to worry about. Santa Claus is good to go," he continued.

The CNN anchor told Fauci that he had made many children "so happy," before wishing him an early happy birthday. Fauci will turn 80 on Christmas Eve.

While millions of Americans anticipate a very different Christmas season in light of COVID-19 wariness and restrictions, Fauci has repeatedly reassured children that Santa will still be able to deliver presents without issue.

As previously reported, Fauci made sure children knew Santa would still be able to come this year, even with COVID restrictions. In an interview with USA Today, he said that Father Christmas would not be "be spreading any infections to anybody" this year.

"Santa is exempt from this because Santa, of all the good qualities, has a lot of good innate immunity," he said.

Fauci had mentioned that the man in the red suit was being extra careful this holiday season and limiting appearances, where he normally lets children sit on his lap and tell him what they want for Christmas.

Various health experts have told people to avoid lining up to see Santa this year.

Newsweek reached out to the National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases for additional comment Saturday.