Dr. Anthony Fauci, the highly-trusted face of the nation’s fight against COVID-19, answered a question that’s been worrying children: “Will it be safe for Santa Claus to deliver presents this Christmas?” In a program coproduced by CNN and Sesame Street, Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said he had taken care of it himself.

Santa Claus will be coming to town this year, Dr. Anthony Fauci says.

“I took care of that for you,” he says. “ … 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.” #CNNSesameStreet pic.twitter.com/CNJ520XTew — CNN (@CNN) December 19, 2020

The program — “ABCs of COVID-19: A CNN/Sesame Street town hall” — aired Saturday morning. “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,” Fauci said, in response to Elmo and several young children. During the program, the ensemble expressed concern the jolly old elf might not be able to visit due to the COVID-19 pandemic.