Montgomery County's new campaigns urge young people to get vaccinated

Montgomery County public health officials are reaching out to young adults in a series of vaccination advertising campaigns that use things like dating as an incentive for getting the shot.

Just 63% of Montco residents have been fully vaccinated, and only around half of young adults ages 16 to 30 have been vaccinated, on par with national and regional trends.

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The ad campaign, funded by CARES Act dollars, is a partnership between the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board and Montco.

One of the campaigns, called "Shot at Love," is geared toward single 16-to-30-year-olds, the group with the lowest vaccination rate in the county, and uses dating as an incentive.

"Acknowledging that people are especially eager to re-enter the social scene after more than a year of being cooped up indoors, the campaign takes aim at reminding younger people of just what they're missing out on by putting off such an important task – in particular, dating," officials said, according to Patch.

Officials are pushing the message through social media and outdoor advertisements, and even will host special nights out at local bars where they will present vaccination information.

Singles can head to Flanigan's Boathouse in Conshohocken on Aug. 12 from 6-8 p.m., Brothers Kershner Brewery in Skippack on Aug. 15 from 3-5 p.m. or Bar Lucca in Conshohocken on Aug. 25 from 6-8 p.m. Attendees will get swag like commemorative drinking glasses and temporary tattoos that display vaccination status.

Montco residents who use popular dating apps like Bumble and Tinder will get ads for the vaccine, as well.

Other campaigns targeted at young adults in the area include "Don't Procrastinate, Vaccinate," which calls on young people to stop scrolling through TikTok and get the vaccine through short video ads.

High vaccination rates help curb community spread of COVID-19 and its variants. With the delta variant of COVID-19 on the rise, officials are trying to get shots in the arms of young adults faster.

A study from researchers at the University of San Francisco found one in four unvaccinated people ages 18-25 said they "probably will not" or "definitely will not" get the COVID-19 vaccination. Of the more than 5,000 respondents, 83% said they had not been vaccinated. 

Younger people are less likely than older adults to experience significant COVID-19 symptoms or be hospitalized, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, 18-to-29-year-olds account for more than 20% of all COVID-19 cases to date.

A CDC report published in June showed one of the main reasons young adults are skipping the shot were concerns about its possible side effects.

For information on getting the shot in Montgomery County, visit the county website.