First Lady Pool Reports of May 20, 2021

FLOTUS pool report #1

Good afternoon. I'll be your print pooler for First Lady Jill Biden's visit to Children's National Hospital with Dr. Anthony Fauci.

We are positioned in an atrium at the hospital. The First Lady and Dr. Fauci, both wearing masks, walked in just before 1:10pm. They were introduced to registration staff and officials in charge of the vaccination program here. The First Lady shook hands with registration staff and introduced Dr. Fauci as "our American hero," promoting applause.

Pool also spotted Jeff Zients standing behind the First Lady.

FLOTUS pool report #2 — FLOTUS/Fauci take questions

The First Lady, who wax wearing a white face mask with a flower on it, walked around the room and spoke to adolescents who were about to receive their vaccines.

"Ready to get yours? I've already gotten mine," the First Lady said, noting that the vaccine shot goes by very fast.

She asked one of the participants, a girl whose name tag appeared to read Skylah, if she took the day off from school to do this and the girl replied that she hadn't. The First Lady also referenced her own work as a teacher.

After the girl received her shot, the First Lady shook her hands and clapped.

The First Lady then met another person staffing the vaccine clinic before talking to another girl who was there to receive a vaccine. She told her to have a "great summer."

Then the First Lady and Dr. Fauci spoke to reporters briefly.

One reporter asked the First Lady what she said on the phone with supporters after Vice President Harris attacked President Biden at a primary debate before he won the primary.

"That was two years ago we've moved on from that," Jill Biden said. "We are here to do vaccinations."

"Who doesn't love dr. Fauci," she said. Fauci then said it was a pleasure and honor to be at the hospital and called it a "phenomenal institution."

Fauci was asked about whose fault he thought it was that people are misinterpreting the mask guidance as he said in a recent interview.

Fauci said it was no one fault.

"Unfortunately some people interpreted that as everyone can get rid of their mask, which is not the case."

"We're clarifying that now and I think we're getting on the right track."

In response to a question about when she would feel safe to go out to a restaurant, the First Lady said she would feel safe enough to go out to a restaurant but said President Biden is very busy.

FLOTUS pool report #3 — video

CSPAN footage of the event at Children's National can be found here:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?511940-1/lady-jill-biden-dr-fauci-visit-ch...

We are currently rolling back to the White House with the motorcade as of 1:39pm.

FLOTUS pool report #4 — background

Here is some background from the White House on today's event:

The First Lady and Dr. Anthony Fauci visted a COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC. She visit will highlight efforts to vaccinate adolescents, especially those aged 12 to 15.

They took a three-stop tour of the clinic:
• Registration area
• Vaccination area
• Observation area

Children's National Hospital, located in Washington, DC, is one of the top-ranked pediatric hospitals in the country. Children's National's pediatric academic health system also provides care to children ages 0-22 at numerous primary care and specialty outpatient clinics throughout Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia (the "DMV" area).

The First Lady and Dr. Fauci participated in a greet with the following four leaders from Children's National Hospital:
• Dr. Kurt Newman, President and Chief Executive Officer
• Ms. Kathy Chavanu Gorman, Executive Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Operating Officer
• Dr. Joelle Simpson, Interim Division Chief for Emergency Medicine and Medical Director for Emergency Preparedness
• Dr. Roberta DeBiasi, Division Chief, Infectious Diseases

Tour at Children's National Hospital
• Dr. Kurt Newman, President and Chief Executive Officer
• Ms. Kathy Gorman, Executive Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Operating Officer
• Jeanne Ricks, Executive Director, Ambulatory Nursing
• Dr. Claire Boogaard, Medical Director, COVID-19 Vaccine Program

They said hello to Ligia Velasquez and her daughter, Ashley (16), who will have just received her second dose.