Santa Clara County Attempts To Convince Youth To Get Vaccinated

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — After a news briefing on Monday afternoon in which Santa Clara County officials promoted a COVID vaccination event for teenagers this week at Levi’s Stadium, County Supervisor Cindy Chavez pointed to a group of high school students who had just spoken to convince their peers to get vaccinated.

“Interview them, because no one wants to hear from us,” Chavez said to the media while laughing. “Talk to them!”

Chavez and other county leaders hope that Monday’s event at the San Francisco 49ers’ stadium, which is serving as a mass vaccination site, will inspire more of the county’s younger residents to be vaccinated against COVID-19. While 75 percent of county residents have received at least one dose as of Wednesday, only 41 percent of residents ages 16 and 17 have been vaccinated, according to Dr. Ahmad Kamal, the director of healthcare systems preparedness for the county.

The low numbers are partially due to eligibility for younger residents starting later than other age groups. But both county officials and students have described a sense of apathy among teenagers for getting the vaccine along with misinformation spreading on social media.

“I know the younger you are, the more invincible you are,” Chavez said. “Here’s the thing. We know that young people don’t always listen to adults. And any parent listening to me knows exactly what I’m talking about. But what we do know is that teens listen to other teens. So we want students to explain why they’re getting vaccinated and explain that to their fellow teens.”

With that goal in mind, the county trotted out six high school students representing four local high schools with the county’s Youth Ambassador Program, each speaking about why they got vaccinated and the activities they look forward to doing.

“Frankly, I just want to be able to have my teenage experience,” said Nathan Nguyen, a student at Evergreen High School. “I want to be able to volunteer, I want to be able to go on study dates and to be able to go back to living my life.”

Steven Luo, another student at Evergreen, said he wanted to be able to see his friends, return to in-person coding competitions and rehearse in his wind ensemble.

“For all those who worry about the needle, just like myself and some of my peers, I can tell you it was so painless that I had to ask if they even injected the shot,” Luo said.

Others spoke about misinformation and inequity challenges disproportionately affecting communities of color taking a toll on kids. Mount Madonna High School 11th grader Yoli Lopez said that in her Gilroy community, which has been hit hard by COVID-19, false information about the vaccine spreading among parents has led to many not giving permission for their kids to get vaccinated (anyone under the age of 18 needs consent from a parent before getting the shot, though parents don’t have to accompany their kids to the vaccine site).

Lopez added: “Some kids who do have permission don’t have transportation, or their parents’ work schedule doesn’t allow them to get their kids to an appointment. I got my second vaccine today because I am lucky enough to have a ride up here.”

VTA is offering free rides to vaccination sites and has a paratransit service that takes patients who don't have transportation access to and from their vaccine appointments for free, which can be utilized by calling the Working Partnerships CAN-19 resource hotline at 408-809-2124 .

The county and the 49ers teamed up to offer rewards to any teens who come to Levi’s Stadium for a vaccine. From Tuesday through Thursday, between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., youth ages 16 to 19 will be able to visit the locker room, get free codes to play the 49ers Virtual Escape Room Game and receive team apparel. The first 100 teens who get vaccinated each night will also receive $10 gift cards for Starbucks or Chipotle.

The site will also be filled with music featuring a DJ, and Sourdough Sam, the 49ers mascot, making a cameo.

Earlier this month, the county offered free boba and cookies at a vaccination event at James Lick High School. They will have a similar event on Wednesday at Gilroy High School.

Malyna Trujillo, a student at Notre Dame High School, said that while the material incentives are nice, she wants to be able to see her large family again and take part in social activities.

“I remember how much fun I had at this stadium at the Taylor Swift concert a few years ago, something I probably won't get to do for a while,” Trujillo said. “This vaccination isn’t just for me. It’s for my family, for my community. And the Starbucks and Chipotle gift cards are just an added bonus.”

Visit sccfreevax.org for information about vaccinations in Santa Clara County.

For more news and information about the vaccine rollout in California, visit Patch's information hub. Also, be sure to check out How To Get The Coronavirus Vaccine In California.