As the primary caretaker of her immunocompromised mother, who sewed and donated more than 2,000 masks in the early days of the pandemic, Hall said capturing the moment was an important step toward allay some of the anxiety that has arisen. turned her mental health upside down in the past year. “I shared a selfie because it was the first time I’ve been able to look to the future in a year,” Hall told CNN Business.
As vaccine rollout has expanded to more people across the country, vaccine selfies have spread across social networks and chat apps. Whether taken at the time of admission, on the drive home, or in front of an official banner at a vaccination site, people celebrate and broadcast that they are doing their part to help stop the spread of the virus.
Some vaccine sites are handing out stickers just like the voters who receive voters in Election Day elections, and they set up selfie booths and encourage people to share photos online using various hashtags, such as #IGotTheShotNYC and #ImABigShot.
As with any selfie, the trend leans on our desire to share positive moments in our lives, not to mention some particular self-promotion impulse. But the motivations behind vaccine selfies go much further: it is seen as a way for the selfie-taker to let loved ones know they are safe and vaccinated, a tool to broadcast that they are part of an exclusive group and a possible way to expel the vaccine. skepticism in others.
For Kate Caudill, who works for the federal government on Covid loans and volunteers with the New York Medical Reserve Corps at a vaccination pod, posting a selfie was important “ to encourage others to feel good and confident ” after I had received a leftover. dose at the end of a day in January.
In part with the goal of curbing hesitation about vaccines, some vaccination sites are making it easy for people to take and share selfies by creating a backdrop similar to what one might see at a red carpet event. Virtua Health, a New Jersey nonprofit health system that began vaccinating its own staff in mid-December, was one of the organizations that took this approach.
“From day one, we realized that our frontline workers were eager to document this important moment in their lives, so we created a ‘selfie station’ in our clinic’s observation room,” said Daniel Moise, communications director. and involvement with Virtua Health. “It immediately proved popular with most employees who stopped to take a photo.”
A month later, Virtua Health became a healthcare partner for one of the vaccine mega sites in New Jersey and set up a similar station at the exit of the building. People getting their vaccinations can take pictures on their way out and pose with hand signs that say “I Got My COVID-19 Vaccine!” and “First dose!” The facility is asking people to use antibacterial wipes when handling the paddles, he added.
“We hope that by posting a photo on social media, guests will encourage their friends and family to follow suit,” said Moise. “We know there are people who are hesitant to proceed with vaccinations; perhaps seeing these party photos of people they know and trust will lessen their reluctance – or at least open the door for conversation.”
While vaccine selfies can be an expression of social action, there is also an element of exclusivity. “In this case, it also has a sense of status as access to the vaccine is limited,” said Karen Kovacs North, a professor of digital social media at the Annenberg School at the University of Southern California.
“A lot of people report feeling jealous or even depressed when they see other people getting a chance and they don’t even know when they qualify,” Klaiman said. “This is compounded by disparities in the way the vaccine is delivered. People who don’t have time to chase appointments may feel jealous when they see others have them.”