Developing a highly effective and safe coronavirus vaccine in little under a year was no small task. But now, the federal government faces another challenge: convincing millions of people to get the vaccines.
At least 1 in 5 respondents say they won’t get the vaccine, a recent poll found. This vaccine hesitancy is forcing government officials to get creative. In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled a new bid to boost vaccinations, dubbed “Shot and a Beer.” Any adult who receives the first dose of the vaccine in May will receive a free beer at any participating brewery or bar. All you need is a vaccination card, Murphy added.
“We’re not going to be afraid to try new things,” the Democrat said.
Connecticut followed suit with its own alcoholic incentive, the “Drinks On Us” campaign. Like New Jersey’s program, residents must show their vaccine cards at participating restaurants to receive a free drink. But Connecticut’s requirements are a bit stricter: Adults must be fully vaccinated, meaning that they’ve received Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot or both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, and the incentive only runs from May 19 to May 31.
The White House wants to make incentive programs like New Jersey’s and Connecticut’s a national priority. President Joe Biden announced this week he plans to press businesses and sports leagues to offer customers discounts on merchandise and tickets if they get coronavirus vaccines.
At least two sports teams have taken him up on the challenge. The New York Yankees and the New York Mets agreed to offer free tickets to fans who get vaccinated at sites set up outside the game. When asked why the teams decided to get involved, Yankees President Randy Levine said, “Because … that’s how we get back to normalcy.”
But not everyone is motivated by beer or baseball — which is why Biden wants to make some incentives more accessible.
“We’re working with major businesses like grocery stores to provide special deals, like discounts to shoppers who come to stores to get vaccinated,” he explained. “Bring them in to get vaccinated, and they’ll get discounts on goods in that store.”
Still, there’s no guarantee that cash incentives or fun prizes will be enough to get us over the vaccine hesitancy wall. Many skeptics are wary of the vaccines not because they believe they don’t need them, but because they don’t trust them. And there’s not a whole lot New Jersey, the Yankees, or Biden can do about that.
