Vaccinated Jersey City Students Could Win Summer Jam Tickets

JERSEY CITY, NJ — Teens have some of the lowest vaccination rates across the country, but Jersey City officials are looking for a way to turn the tides in the city by piquing their interest with big incentives: enter Summer Jam.

Jersey City is partnering with HOT 97 for a new vaccination contest geared towards high school students. All nine Jersey City Public High Schools will participate in a contest from August 4 - August 14 to get students vaccinated. The two high schools with the highest vaccination rate at the end of the contest will win tickets to the HOT 97 Summer Jam concert at MetLife Stadium for the entire vaccinated student body.

The contest was announced by Mayor Steven Fulop on the “Ebro in the Morning” radio show on Wednesday. The incentives aren't just for students, families of the vaccinated students will earn a $50 Shoprite gift card.

“Most vaccine incentive programs are not geared towards our youth where there is a significant vaccination gap nationwide. That’s why we’re taking a different approach with Summer Jam, to create positive peer pressure and meet teens where they are to really incentivize them with major prizes that are specifically appealing to their age group,” said Mayor Fulop. “We hope to encourage a lot more students to get vaccinated before school starts, and we have additional incentives for families who join them.”

Fulop explained on Tuesday that the city will not yet mandate vaccines for employees — he said he feels incentives and positive peer pressure yield more results than vaccine mandates do for workers.

Vaccination rates among teenagers are lagging in Jersey City at below 50 percent compared to the overall City population, which is over 70 percent.

“Mayor Fulop has linked up with HOT 97 and Summer Jam. You can get yourself Summer Jam tickets, but you have to make sure you get yourself vaccinated,” said Ebro, Co-host of HOT 97’s ‘Ebro in the Morning’. “It’s hard for parents, especially in getting teenagers vaccinated. As September comes around, it’s time to get back into the classrooms for a lot of students. And so, this is a major announcement.”

Jersey City Public Schools plan on reopening in-person in the fall. Superintendent Franklin Walker stressed the importance of vaccinations and masking in his latest message to families — while neither are mandated for students or staff, they are recommended.

“We have put in place the safeguards necessary as most of our 30,000 students return to school next month, but it is up to the students to do their part and get vaccinated in order to add every possible layer of protection for everyone’s safety,” said Jersey City Schools Superintendent, Franklin Walker. “I hope our students can see past all of the misinformation floating around and take advantage of this contest to boost our vaccination rates as we countdown, for the first time in two years, to the first day of school.”

Jersey City currently has 50 existing vaccinations sites citywide, including Ferris High School. In partnership with the Jersey City Schools, the City will also open three new sites at Dickson, Snyder, and Lincoln High Schools throughout the duration of the contest. The high school sites will provide the Pfizer vaccine to anyone eligible and seeking immunization.

How The Contest Works

The participating high schools will be separated into two categories based on size to ensure fairness: schools with less than 500 students and schools with more than 500 students. One school in each group will win the Summer Jam concert tickets for all vaccinated students. The winning school will be announced August 17, 2021, on HOT 97’s “Ebro in the Morning” show.

All four high school vaccine sites will be open Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on weekends from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. now through August 14, 2021. Students should show their school-issued ID to ensure an accurate count towards the contest. Free Uber rides are available to and from vaccine appointments for all students. Anyone in need of transportation can let the call center know when booking the vaccine appointment

To schedule a vaccine appointment, please call 201-373-2316 or visit www.bespokehealthco.com. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Also Read:

• Jersey City Schools Stress Vaccine Importance In Return Message
• Jersey City Mayor Explains Why There's No Worker Vaccine Mandate

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