President Biden praised for ‘compassion’ after he comforts eight-year-old girl afraid of pandemic: ‘Don’t be scared, honey’

President Biden addressed the concerns of a second-grade girl about the pandemic, assuring her that she should not be scared.

The president spoke directly to eight-year-old Layla, who stood with her mother during CNN’s Town Hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on Tuesday, after the second-grader’s mother Jessica Salas asked when children will be eligible for the vaccine.

“They are watching as others get the vaccine, and they would like to know, when will kids be able to get the vaccine?” Salas asked the president.

In response, the president chose to reassure Layla directly, telling the eight-year-old: “Well, first of all, kids don’t get Covid very often, it’s unusual for that to happen.”

Mr Biden then went on to explain to Layla and her mother that vaccine trials have not yet been conducted on or approved for children because of the relatively low risk.

“So you’re the safest group of people in the whole world,” Mr Biden continued, before assuring the second-grader that she is unlikely to expose her mother or father to the virus, nor is she likely to get it from her parents.

“I wouldn’t worry about it, baby, I promise you,” he said. “But I know it’s kind of worrisome.”

According to the Mayo Clinic, children can get Covid-19, although they typically do not get as sick as adults. It is not currently clear whether children contribute largely to the spread of Covid, however, the CDC notes that it is possible for them to spread the virus.

The president then took the opportunity to joke with Layla, telling her she’s “getting old” now that she’s in second grade, before acknowledging that it must be difficult for her not to attend school and see her friends every day.

“But don’t be scared, honey. Don’t be scared. You are going to be fine and we are going to make sure mommy is fine, too,” Mr Biden concluded.

Following her conversation with the president, Layla spoke to CNN’s John Berman, where she revealed that Mr Biden is the first president she’s spoken to during her lifetime.

As for how she felt in the moment, Layla said: “I was really nervous and I didn’t know what to do.”

However, according to the eight-year-old, the president’s assurances made her “feel better”.

“It made me feel better that I would be safe in this pandemic,” she said.

The sweet exchange between the president and the elementary school student also prompted praise on social media, where many applauded Mr Biden for his compassion.

“I love President Biden!!! He spoke so sweetly to that little girl Layla and I just want to give him a great big hug!!!!” one person tweeted.

Another said: “President Joe Biden talking to Layla at his town hall is one of the most compassionate moments I’ve seen from a US president in, oh, I don’t know, four years.”

“I’m smile-crying listening to President Biden talk to little Layla,” someone else wrote.

Earlier in the night, the president discussed his administration’s plans for having children return to school, with Mr Biden explaining that he believes teachers should be eligible for the vaccine.

“I think that we should be vaccinating teachers. We should move them up in the hierarchy as well,” he said, in addition to other measures such as “guidance on smaller classroom pods and an accelerated timeline for K-8 schooling compared to high school and college,” according to CNN.