SAN ANTONIO — The City of San Antonio is ramping up its efforts to encourage residents to get vaccinated by offering monetary incentives.
“The plan is to give it out as a $100 H-E-B gift card. It’ll be given at the end of your second dose,” said Metro Health’s Dr. Anita Kurian.
The gift cards will be provided to those who also get the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to city officials.
The initiative is federally funded and expected to get underway by the end of September.
Meanwhile, as of Friday, about two-thirds of Bexar County's eligible population (those 12 and older) are fully vaccinated.
As for those not yet immunized, the gift card may not be incentive enough for all of them. Jason Bowling, with UT Health, has heard from a number of people who are still hesitant about receiving the coronavirus shot.
“Some people are waiting to see the full approval. They want to see the government stands behind it, the FDA stands behind it. Other people still have some questions.”
Bowling noted monetary incentives for vaccines are nothing new. However, he remains optimistic about the program’s success to boost vaccinate rates in Bexar County.
“It’s been used in the past with influenza vaccines and some other things in the past to as one tool. Certainly, you wouldn’t (want) that to be your only motivator but certainly it can be an effective tool for some people," he said. "I think it makes sense at this point to use all the tools we have available because this is so important to get everybody across the finish line."