I went to a COVID vaccine parade in NJ This is what I saw.

Since COVID-19 vaccines became widely available in early 2021, I’ve read online about the range of approaches cities and states have taken to get people vaccinated.

The incentives have been popular.

Home beer, free concert tickets, and free donuts have popped up in New Jersey alone. Elsewhere in the country, residents were offered perks like free products and $ 50 gift cards.

So when I heard Camden was planning a coronavirus vaccine parade, I wasn’t surprised.

But I was curious.

Arriving at the Branches at Centerville apartment complex on South 9th Street, I first spotted the Camden Police Department’s polaris slingshot – a bat-like vehicle racing for the march towards Whitman Park .

Also on hand for the procession: A Mister Softee ice cream truck, a fire engine and a Cooper Hospital mobile service vehicle.

“We have been through dark times since last year and we are facing an uphill battle, but we will get there by any means necessary,” Mayor Vic Carstarphen said upon arrival.

Carstarphen, holding a megaphone in his hand, then went inside to give the cheerleaders a pep talk before the parade kicked off.

A county spokesperson told me that since the mayor was sworn in in May, he has advocated in person for more people to be vaccinated. Carstarphen, joined by other local officials, recently went one step further by knocking on doors to answer questions or discuss the reluctance to immunize.

Camden health officials have said that in the past four weeks, the hard-hit town – which has nearly a fifth of the county’s more than 50,000 cases – has seen a 5% increase in the number of residents aged 18 and over who have been vaccinated. However, this figure still stands at 59%. The goal is at least 70% – with the Delta variant of the virus becoming more prevalent statewide.

Tuesday’s parade was created to remove as many obstacles as possible from the process, officials told me. To get a photo, residents simply had to accept and show their ID.

At the start of the parade, the mayor stood in front of about fifty marchers, megaphone in hand. ” It is important ! He shouted in the street.

Camden High School cheerleaders waved their hot pink pom poms in response. “Let’s get vaccinated! They sang in unison.

A couple on their porch watched curiously. Construction workers, braving a 90-degree workday, waved and confirmed they had received their blows. A man in his van honked his horn and also gave a thumbs up.

More than one passer-by stopped to chat with the mayor, attracted by the sirens of the trucks and the cheers.

Eric Matthews said he was shopping for groceries. Having lost family members to the coronavirus, he had long since been vaccinated.

“More people need to get involved and we need to let everyone know how easy it is,” said the Camden resident, 50.

On a street corner, the mayor walked into a barbershop to share with customers that free vaccination clinics were just steps away.

Ten minutes later, the parade convinced a man, Aaron Lofland, to roll up his sleeve.

A total of ten people were vaccinated on site Tuesday – with help from nursing students at Cooper and Rutgers – who administered doses of the vaccine during the parade. The adults received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, while the children received the Pfizer vaccine (and an August 30 appointment for their second dose).

“I don’t get a free vaccine, but I will have free ice cream,” one resident joked as he saw Lofland get his vaccine sticker.

Officials said that despite the relatively low total, they had convinced others to consider getting vaccinated and spread the word – debunking false theories or misinformation about the vaccine in the process.

The mayor also noted that he would not rule out future parades based on the response.

“At first I caught the coronavirus, and thank God I recovered,” Ramon Rodriguez, 44, told me in Spanish at a Boost Mobile store moments before getting the shot.

Miguel Torres and Yariel Torres, both 13, were at the store with Rodriguez – their uncle who works in a nearby bodega. They also had their shots.

“It’s nothing,” Rodriguez said while receiving the injection and watching the teens. The two smiled, recording on their phones.

The store owner, reluctant at first, looked too. After a slight pause, he then gave in as well – agreeing to take the hit on the spot.

“That’s the goal there,” a county spokesperson told me at the compound where the parade ended. “Just one at a time.”

Our journalism needs your support. Please register today at NJ.com.

Steven Rodas can be reached at [email protected].