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Young Connecticut State Senator Urges People His Age To Get Vaccinated

State Sen. Kevin Wilkos, R-Canton, left, talks with Sen. Will Haskell, D-Westport, right, during special session at the State Capitol, Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in Hartford, Conn.
Jessica Hill
/
Associated Press
State Sen. Kevin Wilkos, R-Canton, left, talks with Sen. Will Haskell, D-Westport, right, during special session at the State Capitol, Tuesday, July 28, 2020, in Hartford, Conn.

Connecticut state Senator Will Haskell wants his fellow Gen-Z peers to sign up for COVID-19 vaccinations, now that the state has opened appointments to everyone 16 and older.

Haskell and dozens of other young people showed up at a vaccination clinic in Stamford this week to set an example.

Haskell said there is no state data showing Gen Z is lagging behind in vaccine sign-ups. But, he said his age group is driving outbreaks in Connecticut and across the country.

“It really is stemming from the youngest generations. We know that people in their 20s and 30s are acting in a manner that’s a little bit more risky because they’re eager to put this pandemic behind them. And by the way, I understand where they’re coming from. But in order to return to that normal life, we’ve got to sign up to get vaccinated,” Haskell said.

Haskel urges young people to get on the waitlist for vaccine appointments, even if they may not get a slot right away. He says the state is launching mobile Johnson and Johnson vaccine units to target young people in areas hit hardest by the virus.

Cassandra Basler, a former senior editor at WSHU, came to the station by way of Columbia Journalism School in New York City. When she's not reporting on wealth and poverty, she's writing about food and family.