As Delta Variant Triples Local Cases, Jersey City Targets Lowest Performing Vaccination Group with Innovative Contest

JERSEY CITY – Mayor Steven M. Fulop and Jersey City’s Department of Health and Human Services announce a new partnership with HOT 97’s Ebro, co-host on the “Ebro in the Morning” radio show, to launch a teen vaccine incentive program directly targeting Jersey City students as they prepare to return to school next month.  All nine Jersey City Public High Schools will participate in the contest August 4 – August 14. 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.

Like most cities throughout the country, vaccination rates among teenagers are lagging in Jersey City at below 50% compared to the overall City population, which is over 70%.  With a vast majority of the rising Delta variant cases found among unvaccinated people, the goal of the Jersey City Summer Jam contest is to increase access and incentives specifically for teenagers, the least vaccinated age group in the U.S.

“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.”

“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.”

In addition to the Summer Jam tickets, families accompanying a student to a vaccine site will earn a $50 Shoprite gift card.

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.

“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.  â€œI 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.”

“As the most diverse City in the nation, we’ve had to work that much harder to target hard-to-reach populations from the beginning. By implementing innovative approaches, our efforts have proven successful, and this contest is the latest outreach initiative to incentivize the lowest performing population to get vaccinated before September,” said Stacey Flanagan, Director of Health and Human Services. 

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.

“HOT 97’s Summer Jam is returning in a major way, and we are all eager to get outside and back to enjoying live music,” said Brad Tobin, President and Chief Operating Officer of MediaCo Holding Inc.  “COVID-19 safety protocols remain a priority and the entire production team is working in close consultation with MetLife Stadium, as well as the state and federal guidelines to ensure the safety of our fans and staff.”

“HOT 97 Summer Jam’s return is iconic and shows the resilience of hip hop and the world. We are curating an experience to celebrate life, hip hop and the future of entertainment. Our team is thankful for our return and the support of fans around the WORLD and look forward to welcoming everyone back to MetLife Stadium,” said HOT 97’s TT Torrez.

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.  Students should show their school-issued ID to ensure an accurate count towards the contest.

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.

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

ABOUT BESPOKE HEALTH:

Bespoke Health is a healthcare company focused on providing assistance to end the spread of COVID-19 through testing and vaccine operations for local and state governments. 

ABOUT HOT 97:

(WQHT 97.1FM) WQHT HOT 97 FM is the world’s first all Hip Hop station and has held the dominant position in New York for over twenty years.  HOT 97 is best known for its celebrity on air talent, such as Ebro Darden, Funk Flex and Nessa, as well as being the world’s premier source for Hip Hop music culture. HOT97 online and the Where Hip Hop Lives app are the destinations for original web series, celebrity content, concerts and music videos.  For more information, please visit www.HOT97.com, and follow us

on facebook.com/HOT97official, twitter.com/HOT97, instagram.com/HOT97  

and youtube.com/HOT97.

ABOUT MEDIACO:

MediaCo Holding Inc. (“MediaCo”) is a publicly listed media company (NASD: MDIA) that superserves communities throughout the country. MediaCo owns and operates two of the top urban radio stations in New York City, HOT 97 (WQHT-FM) and WBLS-FM, as well as Fairway Outdoor, an out-of-home advertising business with over 3,500 faces throughout the Southeastern U.S. The company primarily generates revenue from advertising sales and events.

On Sunday, June 27th, 2021 the City of Bayonne Mayor James Davis, The City Council of Bayonne and Bayonne Recreation Deptartment hosted Bayonne Youth City Challenge Obstacle Race at Domenico Park on 16th Street in Bayonne.

The event was sponsored by BCB Bank and also present was TBarks Hot Dogs and more, Mr. Softee and DJ Music By Adam.