Why I said ‘Yes’ to being a youth ambassador for COVID-19 vaccinations

Wednesday, March 2

Hey guys, I’m Rylee from the Rylee Show and even though I’m just 11 years old I understand the importance of using my platform on Facebook and Instagram to not just entertain, but to also educate others and help make a difference in this world. I’ve been doing my show since I was five and I love to act, dance, and interview exciting people in my hometown of Dayton, and throughout Ohio. When one of Ohio’s largest insurance companies reached out to me to be a youth ambassador for COVID-19 vaccinations, I didn’t hesitate to get involved! I had previously done shows focused on the negative impact of the pandemic. Now I could be a part of the solution.

I’m happy to join in the effort to get people in Ohio vaccinated, especially kids my age and those in minority communities. About 21% of kids ages 5-11 are vaccinated in Ohio. And children in that same age range enrolled in Medicaid, which insures low-income Ohioans, is even lower — 9.8%! The Ohio Department of Health says the completed vaccination rate for African Americans of all ages in our state is 43%. That number needs to be higher.

COVID-19 is still a big issue. It’s caused so much pain for people across our state. I don’t like seeing people in pain, so I put together My Top Five Reasons for Getting Vaccinated. I also recently spoke with Dr. Alonzo Patterson about the safety of the vaccine. Check out both posts and share your thoughts on why you feel it’s important to get vaccinated.

You can also visit Vax on the Spot to learn more about the campaign to get more Ohio Medicaid members vaccinated.

This pandemic has been scary, but we’ll get through it together — especially if we’re vaccinated.