America uses the trick 'Vaccination wins millions of dollars' to encourage people to get vaccinated

Viet Anh May 28, 2021 08:30

Many states in the US are creating attractive incentives, including offering huge cash rewards, to encourage more people to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

Since the Ohio state government (USA) loudly announced that anyone who has received at least one dose of vaccineCovid-19eligible to win up to $1 million, Jack Pepper has witnessed a dramatic transformation at his once sleepy vaccination clinic.

For the first time in a long time, lines of people formed outside the vaccination clinic. The staff, who had been busy planning to dispose of the remaining vaccines, were suddenly back in full swing.

“I think we saw 400 people in four hours,” said Mr. Pepper, health department administrator in Athens County, a southeastern Ohio county with a population of about 65,000. “Everywhere I go, people joke with me, saying, ‘Hey, when am I going to get $1 million?’”

The buzz reached a fever pitch when Ohio’s “vaccine lottery,” known as “Vax-a-Million,” announced its first televised winner on May 26: Abbigail Bugenske, of Silverton, who won $1 million.

Maryland is offering a lottery prize of up to $2 million to anyone who has received a Covid-19 vaccine. Photo: WUSA9

This is just one of the first of many opportunities for Americans to win big money from Covid-19 vaccinations, according to The New York Times.

This week, Colorado and Oregon announced $1 million jackpots for anyone who signed up to get vaccinated. Others have taken more creative and simple steps, like free beer in Erie County, New York, or dinner with the governor in New Jersey.

All of this is aimed at getting the 40% of adults and teenagers in the US who have not yet received a Covid-19 vaccine to get vaccinated, even though their effectiveness remains a source of fierce debate among politicians, economists and health officials.

Ohio data shows that in the days following the announcement of the Vax-a-Million program, the number of people getting vaccinated in the state increased from an average of 15,000 to 26,000 per day, an increase that experts described as significant given the declining demand for Covid-19 vaccines across the country.

With five residents winning $1 million in just five weeks, the program has really resonated. Even Andy Slavitt, one of President Joe Biden’s top coronavirus advisers, said on May 25 that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine “has unlocked the secret.”

However, not everyone is convinced by this initiative.

Some US lawmakers say this is just a "gimmick" and a "stunt" for inefficient use of government resources. Including teenagers between 12 and 17 in the prize, and awarding full scholarships with federal funds to any Ohio college they attend, is a practice that is punishable under the Biden administration.

Besides, 1 million USD is still considered too little to change many people's minds about vaccination.

A vaccination site in Manhattan, New York, is distributing $5 lottery tickets to people who are vaccinated against Covid-19. Photo: Pacific Press

In Columbus, Ohio’s largest city, health officials say there has been no significant increase, but instead have seen demand for vaccinations decline since April. At the moment, the city is distributing an average of only 5,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine per week.

Some people have even been hesitant about the “million dollar vaccine” program, according to Columbus Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika W. Roberts. “They say Vax-a-Million makes them feel pressured, and why would the state try to use money to entice them to get vaccinated?” Dr. Roberts said.

In Holmes County, home to a large Amish population, vaccination rates remain below 15%. “People here are really conservative,” said Mike Derr, commissioner of the Holmes County Health Department. “The idea of ​​lotteries and gambling is not really something that people are excited about.”

With the US divided between those who are either passionately in favour of or strongly opposed to Covid-19 vaccination, many experts say that lottery methods can only target a third group: those who are still hesitant, or may have considered getting vaccinated, but do not see it as a top priority.

“The most effective behavior change techniques don’t involve trying to persuade or change people’s social experiences,” says Noel Brewer, a professor of health behavior at the University of North Carolina. “Instead, they build on people’s existing intentions.”

A mobile Covid-19 vaccination site in Columbus, Ohio. Photo: New York Times

Others, like behavioral economist Uri Gneezy at the University of California, say that while $1 million is a great incentive, putting too much money in people's hands can be counterproductive.

“Imagine a medical school offering you $50 to try a new ice cream, or a school offering you $50,000 to attend. You’d say, ‘Wait, what am I getting myself into?’” Gneezy argues. “Similarly, a large sum of money like $1 million might unintentionally send a signal to some people that there are problems with the Covid-19 vaccine.”

Still, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine defended the idea of ​​a “vaccine lottery,” arguing that it would create a powerful incentive at a time when every shot helps stop the spread of Covid-19.

In an editorial sent to The New York Times on May 26, Mr. DeWine estimated that the Vax-a-Million campaign had generated more than $23 million in free advertising for vaccinations, and had attracted young people, minorities and rural residents.

Garen Rhome, the health director in Harrison County, Ohio, said the number of people vaccinated in his locality increased more than 140% after the “vaccine lottery” program was announced.

“Either way, it still affects the timing of many people's vaccination decisions,” Mr. Rhome affirmed.

“If we can get another 1 million people vaccinated in June, instead of July, let's do that.”

According to vietnamnet.vn
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America uses the trick 'Vaccination wins millions of dollars' to encourage people to get vaccinated
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