SYDNEY, Australia -- As Australia's most populated states struggled to cope with the rising toll of the highly contagious Delta strain of COVID-19, an ever-growing number of people are overcoming their initial reluctance to get vaccinated.

The disease's rising statistics are, of course, a major motivator to get the jab. On Friday, there were 291 new locally acquired cases recorded in the state of New South Wales (NSW), bringing the state's total to 4,610 in the latest outbreak, which began with a single case in the state's capital of Sydney on June 16.

While Greater Sydney and surrounding area were already sealed in lockdown for over a month, the state health authorities also pushed ever harder to get the public vaccinated. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has announced a target of administering 6 million jabs to its 8-million population by the end of this month.

The NSW government has also announced incentives to encourage people to "roll up their sleeves" to receive either the Pfizer or the AstraZeneca vaccine.

"We're focusing on what we believe people really want at this stage; they want peace of mind that they can move more freely, send their kids to school, work, so any incentives around those things we think are great motivators so we're looking at those options," Berejiklian said on Tuesday.

The government's message appears to be getting through. As of Friday, 4,221,181 vaccines have been administered throughout NSW. With current daily doses topping 70,000, NSW is well on track to reach the 6-million-dose target by the end of the month.

Among the demographic groups keen to book into their doctors, or chemists or vaccination hubs are young adults up to the age of 30. They have good reason to do so. Unlike last year's first wave of COVID-19, the Delta variant is affecting people of all ages, not just older adults. On Wednesday, it was reported that a 27-year-old man died at his home in Sydney, the youngest person to die from the disease in NSW.

NSW authorities reported on Tuesday that the largest demographic group to get the virus within the previous week was composed of people aged 20 to 39. This demographic, being the most mobile and socially active, also poses the greatest threat to the virus' spread.

One of the young adults who made up his mind to get the jab was Roy, 26, who lives in Sydney, the epicenter of the outbreak. "After seeing how relieved my roommates were after getting vaccinated, I started to consider my options," Roy told Xinhua.

Roy said he initially wanted to wait for a Pfizer shot but as the outbreak worsened, he began to weigh up the perceived risks around the AstraZeneca vaccine, which is in much greater supply in Australia.

"Seeing news of people dying from blood clots in the U.K. (Britain) had really deterred me, but after reading about how the risk compares to other activities, I realized my fears were irrational."

According to Australian health data, the risk of blood clots from AstraZeneca for people aged under 50s is about three in 100,000. Of the 60 recorded cases of the syndrome in Australia just two resulted in death.

While Roy said he felt nervous about getting the jab, he believed it was important not just to protect himself but also his loved ones and the community. He said he could not wait to see his parents for the first time in over two months after Sydney's lockdown ends.

For many young Aussies, beyond the individual protection, getting vaccinated has been seen as a civic duty. Many have taken to social media platforms to rally others to get vaccinated, demystify the process and normalize getting the jab.

More and more people are posting selfies, known as "vaxxies" in the quickly evolving lexicon, getting their COVID-19 shot. It is a healthy trend, according to Professor of Marketing Martin Grimmer from the University of Tasmania.

"Seeing lots of selfies of everyday people getting their shots, can normalize the whole process and make people feel less hesitant about getting vaccinated," Grimmer told Xinhua.

"In that way, it can be a more effective way of spreading a message, rather than seeing well-known figures getting vaccinated. It seems more authentic. It is like an implicit nudge to move people in a certain direction and that is better than being shoved."

One user on the highly influential and popular platform TikTok posted a video of herself going to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine in Sydney with the caption "hot girls get vaxxed."

Another user posted a selfie on Twitter and wrote, "Reported for my moral duty!"

Health authorities in other Australian states have also jumped on the trend. Victoria's chief health officer Brett Sutton posted a selfie on Twitter after getting his vaccination. He wrote, "Here's my vaxxie and couldn't be happier."

The trend shows the importance of grassroots acceptance of vaccinations. For many young people the avenues of social media engagement, humor and solidarity have played important roles in the uptake of Australia's vaccine campaigns.