Wisconsin Offers $100 Reward For COVID-19 Vaccines
Similar to the incentive offered by other states around the country, Wisconsin has entered the vaccine reward program. Anyone who gets their first dose by Labor Day is eligible for a $100 reward from the State of Wisconsin.
The announcement came on August 23 by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. Under the plan, the open timeline for getting that first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is August 20 through Labor Day, September 6.
As Wisconsin joins those other states in offering a cash reward, it's worth noting that those similar programs haven't been successful in moving the dial on vaccine numbers. An article in the Superior Telegram details the problems inherent in the plans:
"Ohio, for example, offered a lottery earlier in the summer to get people who got vaccinated, though research released following the lottery found no connection between the incentive and increased vaccination rates. Financial incentives can be appealing, but "multiple strategies will be necessary to increase population immunity"."
Most states that have offered financial incentives have only seen short term successes with rising the vaccination rates. The reward period turned over a short-term influx of first-dose vaccinators, but the numbers dropped off again after the reward period was finished.
The reward incentive is open to anyone who is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Currently, people age 12 and up are eligible for the free vaccination. And, it comes just on the heels of the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations full approval of the Pfizer version.
So how do you get your $100 incentive? Just go to 100.wisconsin.gov to enter the necessary information in to get the gift card. For those people who are under the age of 18, their parents or guardians will need to fill out the form. Once the application data is entered, the turn-around time is approximately six weeks for the gift cards to arrive in the mail.
In a statement made when the reward incentive program was introduced, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said that "vaccines are the best tools we have" to stop the spread of COVID-19. "Around 54% of Wisconsin's [total] population has gotten at least one vaccine dose to date".