Forget About Generational Wars: Kids From Gen Z Are Helping Boomers Get Vaccinated
Technology savvy kids are helping older residents in the U.S. navigate the often confusing online system for getting a COVID-19 vaccination appointment
Here in America, to get vaccinated for Covid-19, you must first get an appointment. Each state, each county, and even individual cities may have different online systems where you set up your appointment. The pharmacies all have their own websites too.
The appointments are in great demand and you’ve got to check back over and over again to find an opening. And they haven’t even opened up eligibility to all adults yet.
When vaccines first became available, many older adults had trouble deciphering the many online ways to find a vaccine. Often, when they tried calling a number, they were told to go online. Younger people helped their older relatives, but some older adults without any help struggled.
It’s been tough for older adults that aren’t computer-savvy to work the system.
Even if you know what you are doing, securing a vaccine appointment can take hours of hunting and refreshing your webpage. In came the younger generation to save the day.
Kids spend too much time on devices these days is a refrain you will hear from many parents, but it has become a helpful skill in securing a Covid-19 vaccine.
Here are some of the teens in my local area that are making a difference.
Eli Coustan
Eli is 13 years old from Evanston, Illinois. He recently spoke with the American Medical Association (AMA) about the website he founded, ILVaccine.org.
It all began when he helped his grandparents get their vaccination appointments. Eli discovered there were many other people out there that needed help.
And now, his website receives over 10,000 unique visitors per day. When you go to the website, first you choose your Illinois county. From there, you will see a list of locations and availability near you.
It’s a very convenient way to get a real-time look at available appointments in Illinois. (I plan on using this one when the state opens up its eligibility to everyone 16 and older.)
The site is run by volunteers, but Eli told AMA he is working on automating some of the features. Below the name of the vaccine site is the time that the website was last checked, so you know that you are getting up-to-date information.
Avi Ruben
This Highland Park teen has founded Vaccine Volunteers IL. He has been able to find appointments for over 1,000 people trying to get vaccinated.
Avi’s website works by first filling out a form. From their Avi and other volunteers assist individuals to find appointments in their area.
Avi told NBC Chicago that he is concerned about next month when vaccines will open to all residents 16 and above on April 12th. He is expecting, a “very sudden influx of people” looking for appointments.
Benjamin Kagen
Benjamin, a 14-year-old from Lakeview, Illinois has founded ChicagoVaccineHunters.com. It’s a Facebook group where residents can fill out a Google Form to receive help from volunteers to secure an appointment. It’s a private group where you must join to see posts. When I checked it the group was at 89,000 members.
Benjamin’s goal is to help connect people with extra doses of vaccines that are about to go unused. Because the vaccine must be stored at such cold temperatures, when someone misses an appointment and doses go unused, they have to be used quickly or must be thrown out.
Benjamin told NBC Chicago that the idea for the website came to him when he was helping his grandparents find their vaccines. “The system is just so complicated,” Kagan told NBC Chicago “If you don’t understand the technology, you are just going to lose out and not be vaccinated.’”
Kagan found that many older adults did not know of many ways to make finding a vaccine easier, like hitting the refresh button to get the most updated web page.
Navigating a maze
Each local area uses a different online system. Between the states, the counties, and the pharmacies, finding where to get a vaccine and then securing an appointment can be like navigating a maze.
It comes as second nature for the younger generation that has grown up with a device in their hands. But for older adults, the system can be confusing and frustrating. If you can’t get an appointment, you can’t get your shot. But these young teens that aren’t even eligible for a shot themselves, and won’t be for some time, are happy to help others.
