Starting Friday, July 30, New York City will offer a $100 incentive to anyone who gets their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine at a city-run vaccination site.
As NBC New York reported, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the incentive on Wednesday. The news arrives following a rise in COVID-19 cases in the city, and a recent mandate for all state workers in NYC to get vaccinated or undergo testing once or twice a week.
“It does not get better than that,” said de Blasio upon announcing the hundred-dollar incentive, per the New York Post. “Incentives help immensely. I think it’s going to be very, very appealing to New Yorkers. … I personally believe the guarantee that, right then and there, you’re going to be rewarded, I think that’s going to make a big difference to people.”
Recipients will be given a $100 prepaid card that will either be offered after the brief post-vaccine observation period or via mail. Recent New York State Department of Health data suggests between 45 percent and 65 percent of New York City residents have been fully vaccinated.
Responses on Twitter to the news range from vaccinated people questioning where their $100 is to others suggesting this will do little to sway those already unconvinced. Either way, it’s perhaps a more appealing incentive than getting a slim chance to win some sort of vaccine lottery, as a number of states including West Virginia have already rolled out.
Check out reactions to the news below.
