LIST: These states are incentivizing COVID-19 vaccinations with free stuff

According to data from the CDC, almost fifty percent of the population of the United States has at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, which is a huge step forward in the country’s fight against the pandemic that has killed over 583,000 Americans.

Related

Here are unexpected places offering COVID-19 vaccines

But the American public is not a monolith, and some communities have seen significantly higher rates of vaccination. In order to encourage their residents to get inoculated, cities and states are getting creative and sweetening the pot to convince people to get vaccinated.

Here’s how communities across the United States are incentivizing the COVID-19 vaccination process, according to Insider.

It’s a race to end to the pandemic! And in Alabama, they’re taking it literally, with people who got tested or vaccinated at an event on May 15 being able to then take two laps around the Talladega Superspeedway.

The event, hosted by the Alabama Department of Public Health, gave anyone 16 or older who participated in the testing and vaccine drive the chance to drive their own vehicle around the NASCAR track at “highway speed.”

Between May 19 and May 31, vaccinated residents can get a free drink at participating restaurants if they can show that they have received at least one dose. Participants can choose between a set list of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

If you get vaccinated in Chicago, it could mean preferred access and seating to concerts and events via a Vax Pass. Mayor Lori Lightfoot said it is “still very much a work in progress” but that updates should be available soon.

New Orleans is known for its amazing food scene, and the city used that to its advantage by organizing an event on May 13 where residents were offered one free pound of boiled crawfish if they got vaccinated. Attendees received either a Moderna or Johnson & Johnson dose, and the first 30 people in line also received a free gift card courtesy of a local business incubator.

Being neighborly in the COVID-19 pandemic can result in a little extra cash for Detroit residents – the city is offering a $50 reward for anyone who pre-registers and then drives another resident to a vaccination site.

Volunteers will receive a $50 pre-paid gift card as part of the Good Neighbor program, something which Deputy Mayor Conrad L. Mallett called necessary in order to push “past our inability to manage and win the argument on social media,” noting that the Michigan city “had to be more inventive about how to get the attention of the greater, grander community.”

You can have a drink on the Garden State, but only if you’re vaccinated. New Jersey residents who are 21 or older who get their first vaccine dose this month are eligible for the “shot and beer” program, where they can get a free glass of beer at participating locations after getting their vaccine.

Calling all baseball fans: a COVID-19 vaccine can score you free tickets to see the Mets or Yankees! A state promotion is giving newly vaccinated people the chance to get a code for two free tickets to a game if they get jabbed at Yankee Stadium or Citi Field. Yankees fans have between May 7 and June 6 to get the code after being vaccinated, while Mets fans have between May 24 and June 17 to participate. The codes can be used to get tickets for games throughout the season.

What would you do for a million dollars? Governor Mike DeWine has announced that Ohio will be giving away one million dollars to five residents who are vaccinated against COVID-19. The state will hold weekly drawings between May 26 and June 23, with all adult residents who have received at least one dose of the Moderna, Pfizer, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines automatically entered.

Not 18? No worries! Because children as young as 12 are eligible to get vaccinated in the United States, Ohio will also hold a drawing for a full scholarship for its vaccinated minors, including housing and tuition, for four years at any state college or university.

Philadelphia Flyers fans were able to score quite a bit of swag as part of a vaccination drive – along with getting a Johnson & Johnson vaccine ahead of the team’s season finale against the New Jersey Devils, they also got vouchers for two tickets to a game and Gritty shirts and stickers. At least 75 fans were inoculated as a result of the event.

In the immortal words of Oprah Winfrey: you get a car! Adult residents of Shelby County who have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine are eligible to win a brand new car of their choice. Residents have until May 31 to enter the sweepstakes, with a winner being selected around June 1.

Eligibility will be determined via immunization record cards, and the winner will be allowed to choose between a Chevy Camaro, Chevy Colorado, Nissan Rogue, and a Nissan Altima.

Harris County, the third most populous county in the country, is investing $250,000 into its vaccination efforts, with a focus on encouraging young people to get the vaccine, said County Judge Lina Hidalgo. The money will be used for a variety of incentives, including gift cards and events.

Country roads, take me home so I can get a savings bond – mountain mamas (and papas) between the ages of 16 and 35 in West Virginia are eligible to receive a $100 savings bond if they get vaccinated.

Governor Jim Justice announced recently that West Virginia residents between 16 and 35 are not getting vaccinated at a fast-enough rate, so the state is using money from the CARES act to fund the initiative.

LISTEN on the Audacy App
Sign up and follow Audacy
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram