JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A group of teens on the First Coast are on a mission to get their peers, and those 16 to 40 years old, vaccinated.
Members of the I'm a Star Foundation launched a social media challenge to target Gen Z and Millennials to get their COVID-19 vaccines. The members are asking people to post pictures on social media after they get the vaccine using hashtags #CommunityImmunity, #Melanated and #Vaccinated.
"We all want to work together as a community honestly," Malachi White, a 17-year-old member of the foundation, said. "We all want to be in this together. This is something we've been struggling for about a year. So, as a community, we've been going through this, so as a community we would like to end it [COVID] and stop it."
The foundation, which stands for "Smart, Talented and Resilient," is made up of 12 to 18-year-olds across Duval County who work to improve the community.
"We're coming together by letting all of our generation Millennials and Gen Z know that we're standing with them on getting the vaccine so we can have a sense of normalcy back in life," Robert Jones Jr., a 17-year-old member of the foundation, said. "We all want to go back to how it used to be. So, that's why we thought of encouraging our generation as well as the Millennials to go get the vaccine."
Jones and White said they thought of the idea to use social media to encourage people to get the vaccine during a meeting for the nonprofit a couple of weeks ago.
"Most of the people in my school have actually scheduled appointments to go get the shot, and, yes, I have heard people say they aren't getting it," Jones said. "But I would encourage getting it so that everyone can, you know, soon be fully vaccinated, and we won't really see COVID like that anymore."
Jones and White both got vaccinated at the Legends Center Sunday.
“It was actually a very, very diligent and great process because they kept us six feet apart," Jones said describing the process. "They took their time. They asked everybody the questions to see if they had COVID or not."
"I have had a few friends actually get it this week," White explained. "They said the same thing that I said, you know, they didn't feel anything, and no reaction to it."
Both White and Jones urge people to do their research and learn about the vaccine, but to get the vaccine.
"Do your own research, you know, because I've talked about it with certain teachers per se. They've told us about certain diseases that are now eradicated because of vaccines," Jones said. "I take that the same way that I take COVID, that if everyone takes the vaccine, then sooner or later the disease will be eradicated and we won't really, really have to worry about it anymore."
Sixteen and 17-year-olds can only get the Pfizer vaccine right now. Sites in the area that offer Pfizer include Regency, Celebration Church, or the Legend's Center.
Sixteen and 17-year-olds also have to have a parent or guardian with them while they get vaccinated. They have to bring a COVID-19 vaccine screening and consent form that is filled out at the vaccination site as well.
First Coast News' news partners at the Florida Times-Union will document the hashtags and will follow the stories of those vaccinated.