Governor Kathy Hochul is announcing the launch of the multi-faceted statewide Vax to School campaign to support increasing COVID-19 vaccination rates among school-aged New Yorkers.

The Governor announced a new, dedicated website with critical resources and materials for parents and guardians.

The state has also launched a new Instagram channel to educate school-aged children and their families about the COVID vaccine directly.

"We've dedicated enormous state resources to getting New Yorkers of all eligible age groups vaccinated, but initially the state focused on the most vulnerable citizens, and now we need to focus on our youth," Governor Hochul said. "New York's young people are less likely to get seriously ill from COVID-19 but they can still spread the virus, and we need them to take it seriously. The new, innovative #VaxtoSchool social media campaign will help us get the word out to New York's young people about the vital importance of getting vaccinated to keep friends, families and communities safe."

Hochul also says that new Vax to School pop-up COVID vaccination sites will be open in areas where zip code data shows the vaccination rate for 12-to-17-year olds is lower than the statewide average.

The State is also working with New York colleges and universities to support their back-to-campus efforts, including the integration of the State's Excelsior Pass at SUNY and CUNY campuses statewide so they have a secure, verifiable means of accepting and tracking proof of vaccination and/or negative test results, for students, teachers and campus staff.

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