The push to vaccinate San Diegans continue with an aim at young people, as they make up the majority of COVID-19 cases in San Diego County and are grappling with the slowest vaccination rate. This push follows the latest County report that all COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths reported in San Diego County in 2021 occurred among residents who are not fully vaccinated.
“I was the first one to take the vaccine in all of my family,” said San Ysidro High student Angel Morfin, 17.
Morfin admits at first he and his family were skeptical of getting the COVID-19 vaccine, he said his family was fortunate through the pandemic and never caught the virus.
“My friends and I would say we don’t want to take it because it’s dangerous and it is not necessary because we’re too young to get affected, but that was a bad way to look at it,” said Morfin.
The 17-year-old has since been vaccinated with the Pfizer shot and is awaiting his second dose next week, and his efforts also motivated his parents who will join him to get their vaccine as well.
“I understand the consequences of COVID-19,” said Morfin. “In order to to visit my grandfather and my grandmother I need to get the vaccine.”
For other young people getting the vaccine was a decision that hit close to home as some lost relatives to the virus.
“We did have a family member that had passed away so that was one of the reasons we got vaccinated and I made my family as well get vaccinated,” said Rebeca Resendiz, 23.
Resendiz lost her uncle to COVID-19 in January, just a couple of months shy of when he would have been eligible for the vaccine. The 23-year-old says by March nearly all of her family members were vaccinated.
“Having something so personal because of the virus be gone is really eye opening,” said Resindez.
Having something so personal because of the virus be gone is really eye opening
Rebeca Resindez
Since the onset of the pandemic the age group that has seen the most COVID-19 cases in San Diego county have been in those 20 to 29 year olds. This as only 54.6% of 20 to 29 year olds in the county have gotten one vaccine dose. Which is low when compared to that of a similar sizeable age group in the county like 60 to 69 year olds and 88.5% have received one dose.
Other young people tell NBC 7 that universities mandating the COVID-19 vaccine is motivating them to role up their sleeves.
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