What will the Super Bowl be like in times of pandemic?
1:09
(CNN) ––
President Joe Biden's urgent goal to tackle the covid-19 pandemic depends largely on persuading Americans to get vaccinated as quickly as possible.
Also educating the public about the virus.
In that sense, his top advisers have viewed this weekend's Super Bowl as an opportunity to score some points.
The president and first lady, Jill Biden, recorded a message thanking health workers, which will air before the game.
This was indicated by a source familiar with the plans.
An administration official told CNN that the White House also hoped to use this Sunday's event to combat vaccinations.
In addition to speaking, especially, to rural black, Latino and white communities who "do not wear a mask," according to the official.
The Super Bowl is "an interesting opportunity to reach those three audiences," the source said.
Violent domestic extremism is a safety concern at this weekend's Super Bowl
The White House has been in contact with the NFL and other brands involved in the Super Bowl about ways to embed pro-mask and vaccine messages into the wide-ranging event, a White House official said.
However, they declined to elaborate on the extent of the White House's collaboration with the league or with specific companies.
This Super Bowl messaging strategy is part of a far-reaching national campaign that the Biden administration is trying to develop.
The goal is to urge responsible behavior and encourage Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19 when it is their turn.
The project has consulted behavioral economists and messaging strategists, an administration official said.
It is also continually monitoring polls on the subject.
Biden's top advisers have also brainstormed people trusted by the public, including some celebrities.
The idea is that public figures could help spread your message in the future.
This comes as the overwhelming concern Biden has voiced during reports from his top health advisers has centered on questions about the speed and scope of COVID-19 vaccines, the official said.
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Tell me directly.
How fast can we go?
How fast can we get people?
This was the way the official described some of the most pressing questions Biden asks his top covid-19 advisers.
"How can we reach everyone, not just easy people?" He added.
Biden's first actions to contain the pandemic 2:56
Mainly, Biden adopted an optimistic tone in public last week when he said he was hopeful the United States could deliver 1.5 million vaccines per day in a matter of weeks.
His previously stated goal was to get 1 million injections daily during the first 100 days of his presidency.
Biden also said that anyone who wants a vaccine will be able to get it this spring.
Precisely a more ambitious deadline than some of its top health officials previously projected.
At the time, his aides insisted that the official White House goal remained to administer 1 million injections per day.
They also explained that Biden simply expressed his hope that there would be "greater availability" of vaccines by the spring.
A government official told CNN that Biden's covid-19 team did not plan for the president to publicly share those specific aspirations.
"He expects it to increase," said the official about the number of vaccines administered daily.
"He is pressing and waiting."
By this Thursday, more than 35 million doses of the vaccine against covid-19 had been administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, for its acronym in English).
The agency also recorded that some 6.9 million people had received two doses of the vaccine.
In a public briefing on Wednesday, CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky urged Americans to watch Sunday's game responsibly.
"Remember, regardless of which team you support and which commercial is your favorite, watch the Super Bowl safely, meeting virtually alone or with the people you live with," Walensky recommended.
Biden Raises His Bets on Vaccines, Suggests America Will Vaccinate 1.5 Million People Every Day
For its part, the NFL has consulted with public health officials in preparation for the weekend.
The league also announced a set of protocols that include the mandatory use of masks and social distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the game.
He also invited some 7,500 vaccinated healthcare workers to the event to honor their continued work during the pandemic.
According to the NFL, some 14,500 people will attend through general admission and another 2,700 fans in the stadium suites.
"We hope in some way that this initiative inspires our country and recognizes these true American heroes," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.
Sources told ESPN that coaches and players for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs will be tested twice a day before Sunday's game.
Goodell also wrote to Biden in a letter Thursday that every team in the NFL would make their stadium available for mass vaccination.
The government has said that the implementation of such vaccination sites will be an important part of its push to accelerate the pace of administration of covid-19 vaccines.
Why do we like to watch the Super Bowl?
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Joe Lockhart, a Clinton administration veteran who was also a chief spokesman for the National Football League, said the Super Bowl is a "unique event" in American culture that provides a unique opportunity to capture an audience.
There is nothing like it.
There is no other place to sell your cars or educate the public, "Lockhart said.
"So I think it's a great opportunity for the public health community to spread its message, including the White House."
The White House has long made clear that it has a top priority in the fight against the pandemic.
And it's about fighting doubts about COVID-19 vaccines by addressing concerns among Americans about whether they are safe and effective.
That effort is even more urgent with variants of the virus detected in the UK, Brazil and South Africa that have turned up in the United States.
Biden's top health officials emphasized in recent days that the best way to stop the spread of the new variants is to vaccinate as quickly as possible.
So you can enjoy the Super Bowl without contagion 1:09
Another upcoming challenge for the Biden administration is the long-awaited approval of a third vaccine in the United States: that of Johnson & Johnson.
Clinical trials have shown that this single-dose vaccine has a lower level of efficacy than Pfizer / BioNTech and Moderna.
All of which are already being administered in the US So the government is now trying to temper potential skepticism about whether the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is worth it.
"You need to get the vaccine, when available, as quickly and expeditiously as possible," Dr. Anthony Fauci, Biden's chief medical adviser and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said this week.
"You stop the replication (of the virus) by vaccinating widely… When the vaccine is available to you, get vaccinated," he said.
The administration will also need to ensure that ultimately there is a sufficient supply of vaccines to significantly speed up the rate of injections.
Specifically, to meet the goal of fully vaccinating nearly the entire US population by late summer.
or early fall.
Biden announced last week the purchase of 200 million more doses of vaccines.
Both Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris received their covid-19 vaccinations in recent weeks in front of the cameras.
This in an effort to help fight vaccine concerns.
In 11 months, 75% of the US would be vaccinated, according to a Bloomberg estimate
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said at a recent news conference that many celebrities have offered to help speak publicly about vaccine safety.
"Brilliant.
We welcome that, ”said Psaki.
“But what's interesting about the data is that local doctors and local officials - you know, people in the community - are the most trusted.
So we are really trying to empower and fund local communities to be the spokespersons that build that trust, "he added.
CNN's Jeremy Diamond contributed to this report.
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