Young people lag in vaccinations
believe it is possible but rare.
Although new cases among all age groups have plummeted since the winter surge, they are dropping more dramatically in older groups, according to state data analyzed by Dr. George Lemp, an infectious disease epidemiologist and former director of the California HIV/AIDS research program at the University of California.
One likely explanation for the difference is that more older people have been vaccinated.
“We need to move as quickly as we can to vaccinate Californians, particularly younger populations, to drive these numbers down further,” Lemp said.
And now that schools are expanding inperson learning, health officials want as many students as possible to be protected against the virus.
“Most children do fine, but there are definitely children that don’t do fine” if they develop COVID, said Dr. Naveena Bobba, deputy health director for San Francisco. “And especially in olderage kids, 16and 17yearolds, it looks like they spread the disease very similar to adults.”
One reason for younger people’s lagging vaccination rates could simply be timing: Most have been eligible for vaccines for only a few weeks, while people 65 and older have had months to get their shots under California’s agebased rollout.
In Contra Costa County, one of the first large California counties to open up shots to everyone as young as 16, just over half of people in people in their teens and 20s have gotten at least one shot. That is notably lower than the 71% total among the county’s overall eligible population, but it’s also higher than the totals for young people elsewhere in the Bay Area and statewide. That suggests other areas could improve in the next few weeks.
Some young adults — or for teens under 18, their parents, who must give permission— share the same concerns that have given some older adults pause. Some parents feel the vaccines have not been tested enough and would not want their children to be inoculated unless schools mandate it, said Kate Moore of Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco.
Moore is not among them: She has a 16yearold son who has received his first dose and a 13yearold daughter who is excited to get hers once the Food and Drug Administration authorizes the vaccines for children as young as 12.
In addition to the perception among young people that they aren’t at great risk from COVID, it’s likely that some who have had the disease believe they’re already protected from reinfection without a vaccine, said Will Harper, a spokesperson for Contra Costa Health Services. That could account for a large number of vaccine-reluctant people: The 19to30 age group has the highest COVID rate in Contra Costa County.
Health experts, however, say people who have had COVID should still be vaccinated because reinfection is possible, and a vaccine is likely to provide stronger and more longlasting immunity than the natural immunity gained after an infection.
To encourage young people to get vaccinated, Contra Costa County is organizing clinics at schools for older teens and for those 12 to 15 once the FDA authorizes the Pfizer vaccine for them. San Francisco is similarly setting up clinics for teenagers and their families, including at City College.
Santa Clara County will hold three “student night” clinics at the Levi’s Stadium mass vaccination site from Tuesday through Thursday. Officials will hand out $10 Starbucks or Chipotle gift cards for the first 100 people 16 to 19 who show up each evening, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
The county recently held weekend vaccination clinics for teens and their families at James Lick and Overfelt high schools in San Jose, and plans to hold a similar event next week at Gilroy High School. The two San Jose clinics vaccinated 284 people ages 16 to 18.
“It’s moving forward nicely,” the county’s vaccine officer, Dr. Marty Fenstersheib, told the Board of Supervisors this week.
About 37% of 16 and 17yearolds in Santa Clara County have gotten at least one shot — barely half as many as the total eligible population.
To reach young people, county Supervisor Cindy Chavez created a youth ambassador program, which recruited hundreds of volunteers like 20yearold Erica Huynh of San Jose to get the word out to their peers and friends about vaccinations.
Huynh, who is studying neuroscience and psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, posts links on her Instagram to information about vaccine safety and efficacy and how to book appointments. She also answers questions from her followers about side effects and vaccine eligibility. She got vaccinated early because she works parttime at a Sunnyvale nursing home and believes sharing her experience will reassure those with doubts.
A lot of the work, Huynh said, is passing along vaccine science and research to combat misinformation on social media. She said she hopes that as people see those around them getting vaccinated, they’ll feel more at ease seeking vaccinations.
“The country just opened up to 16 and older just a couple weeks ago, so I’m hoping it’s just initial scared feelings,” Hunyh said, “and as people see that more people are getting the vaccine, they’ll feel more comfortable.”