California Incentiveses COVID-19 Vaccine
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a $116.5 million vaccine incentive plan to encourage more California residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The plan was announced at a news con- ference on Wednesday, May 26 where he noted that fully vaccinated residents will be automatically entered to win cash prizes.
Maxim Elramsisy | The Corsair
The Dodger Stadium COVID-19 vaccination site in Los Angeles, California on Tuesday, March 30, 2021. The parking lot was converted to one of the largest vaccination sites in the country.
Cash prizes include $15 million split between ten vaccinated residents and $100 million in $50 gift cards, given to the next two million fully vaccinated Californians as of May 27. The gift card options include a prepaid Mastercard, or credit for Albertsons and Kroger stores, and will be available to state residents 12 years or older.
The $15 million cash prize will be awarded to those that have been fully vaccinated by June 15, the day California plans to end all COVID-19 safety restrictions. The plan also includes a prize distribution on June 4 and June 11 split between 30 vaccinated Californians, called $50,000 Fridays.
If a resident wins any prizes they will be notified by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH). The LACDPH is also offering a Vaccination Sweepstakes that started on Friday, May 28, and will end on Thursday, June 3, separate from Newsom's incentive plan. This includes a choice of two season tickets for the Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles Kings, or the Lakers.
The Vaccination Sweepstakes eligibility group includes residents who are 18 years or older and are getting the first dose of the vaccine. They will have the option to enter their name in the drawing during their appointment. Vaccination sites include The Forum in Inglewood, Lincoln Park, California State University, Northridge, and Pomona Fairplex.
Oscar Tequila, a Santa Monica College student and Marine Corps veteran, has been fully vaccinated and said about the vaccine, "A lot of my former military friends are conservative. They don't want to take the vaccine because the incentives make it more fishy." Tequila continued, "But I think [the incentives are] more of an act of desperation [by the state of California] than being malicious."
Tequila admits he was skeptical of getting vaccinated but his sister, a nurse practitioner, put his mind at ease.
According to the state of California, 17 million or more Californians are fully vaccinated and 4 million received their first dose against COVID-19 as of Tuesday, June 1. Los Angeles County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer suggested that in order to reach herd immunity, 80 percent of residents have to be fully vaccinated. Currently, 62.7 percent of residents 16 and older in Los Angeles County are fully vac- cinated, according to the LACDPH.
Newsom also stated that California has the lowest COVID-19 positivity rate among all states in the U.S. He is quot- ed in a news conference, saying that he wants this incentive to "reinforce the value of vaccination for all Californians, especially those in communities hit hard- est by the pandemic," and wants people to prioritize getting vaccinated for their lives, and the lives of others.
