The federal government has granted states permission to provide cash incentives to people who receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The Treasury Department updated its guidelines on how states and local governments should invest billions of dollars in assistance contained in the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill passed in March on Tuesday.
Lotteries, cash grants, and other incentive schemes are permitted if they are reasonably expected to raise vaccination rates, and the costs are reasonably proportional to the anticipated public health benefit. Andy Slavitt, the White House senior advisor on COVID-19 response, said, "We are nothing if we are not open to good ideas. We urge states to use their creativeness to raise awareness about vaccination and return their states and the country to normal as soon as possible," USA Today reported.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine was the key to unlocking a secret, said Slavitt. Ohio's Vax-a-Million campaign did more than boost the Buckeyes' COVID-19 vaccination rates. The state's offer of a $1 million lottery bonus to five vaccinated winners has also persuaded Washington that federal funds are being well spent.
The vaccination rate among Ohioans aged 20 to 49 increased by 55 percent after Vax-a-Million was announced. The vaccination rate doubled in some counties.
Several states follow the cash incentives scheme for vaccinations
New York, Maryland, and Oregon have all launched similar initiatives since then. Five winners will share a $1 million bonus, and five students between the ages of 12 and 17 will receive full-ride college scholarships.
As of Monday, 2.75 million adults had signed up for the cash draws, and 104,386 students had signed up for the college scholarship giveaways. When the initiative started, Ohio had a lower percentage of people who had received at least one vaccination than the national average. Nearly half of the adults in the state are now completely vaccinated, which is on track with the rest of the country.
With more states reopening and Americans ready to return to life before the pandemic, federal officials have vowed to fund incentive programs like Ohio's Vax-a-Million lottery. The state offers vaccinated adults the chance to earn $1 million in hopes of bringing the US closer to herd immunity. Lotteries, cash or in-kind transfers, and other financial benefits for citizens to get vaccinated fall into this category. Slavitt added that half of all American adults are now vaccinated, and 25 states plus the District of Columbia have completely vaccinated 50 percent or more of their adult populations as of Tuesday.
According to NBC News, Slavitt said 70 percent of adults in nine states had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The achievement comes almost two weeks after public health authorities eased social distancing and mask criteria for the 129 million adults who have already been completely vaccinated, paving the way for more states to loosen restrictions even further.
New York City is stepping up its efforts to increase the number of people who receive COVID-19 vaccinations. On the other hand, some incentives do not perform as well as they should and may even confuse some of the citizens the city is trying to help.
Meanwhile, Delaware has joined a growing list of states providing cash and other incentives to encourage children and adults to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Officials say Delaware residents 12 and older who get vaccinated from now to June 29 will be entered into a twice-weekly drawing for a chance to win $5,000 and other prizes, as per Fox29.
All children between the ages of 12 and 17 who have already obtained the vaccine are eligible. A vacation, a college scholarship, and tickets to a music festival and baseball games are among the other rewards. State authorities will also reimburse small businesses that give vaccination incentives to individuals.
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