UWindsor students join the fight to boost COVID-19 vaccine uptake

Students launch vaccine campaign UWindsor students join the fight to boost COVID-19 vaccine uptake by using the power of social media.

Windsor, Ont. — University of Windsor students Adam Pillon, 25, and Jackie Fong, 25, both have very personal reasons for vaccinating themselves against COVID-19.

Both students also jumped on board to participate in a student-led social media campaign, encouraging students to #TakeaJabUWindsor and #KOCOVID.

“If we want to get back to normal campus life, we all need to get everyone vaccinated. We need to know that everyone is safe.” Says Pillon who is president of the Graduate Student Society.

“As students, we’re in a socio-economic status where we’re probably living with multiple people. We’re probably living with parents, grandparents. We’re might be living with people who are medically unable to get vaccinated,” says Pillon.

Pillon and Fong both say students are consuming misinformation on the internet, that vaccines are unsafe or that young people can’t get sick.

“Young people don’t get sick. That’s what’s all over the internet right now,” says Pillon. “But they do! I was a young person. I was 24 years old when I had COVID and I was sick.”

Fong says its not just young people.

After getting Pfizer and Moderna, she had to reassure some of her family members that mixing vaccines was safe and effective.

“We should get the first vaccine that we can so that all of us can quickly get back to normal,” says Fong.