As Christmas approaches, Santa is making a list and checking it twice. He’s also ready to deliver presents around the world after receiving his COVID-19 booster shot, according to Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert.
“Santa already has great innate immunity,” Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told USA TODAY. “This year he is even more protected because he has been fully vaccinated and boosted. Santa will be just fine and is good to go!”
That means children around the world can rest assured – Santa is ready to come down the chimney, eat cookies and participate in other traditions this holiday season.
Last year, Fauci told USA TODAY that Santa wouldn’t be at risk of “spreading any infections to anybody.”
“Santa is exempt from this because Santa, of all the good qualities, has a lot of good innate immunity,” Fauci said at the time.
He also reassured children watching a ‘Sesame Street’ town hall put on by CNN last year that he vaccinated Santa Claus himself, giving the jolly man an extra layer of protection while he traveled with his trusty reindeer.
“I took care of that for you because I was worried that you’d all be upset,” Fauci said.
“I vaccinated Santa Claus myself,” he added. “I measured his level of immunity and he is good to go.”
