By: Jarrod Horton
Staff Writer
This week (Dec.21st) New York Mayor Bill De Blasio announced that his city would give $100 to anyone who gets a COVID-19 vaccine booster shot by New Year’s Eve. The announcement comes at a time where reports are suggesting a surge in COVID cases around the country. This is not the first time that the city of New York has offered money to people for getting a COVID vaccine shot.
TODAY we're announcing a $100 incentive for anyone who gets a #COVID19 booster at a City-run site or with our partner @SOMOSCare. This is a limited time opportunity – through 12/31.
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) December 21, 2021
This is the moment. Get your booster and protect your family and city: https://t.co/tgaFXTIlet pic.twitter.com/8YQ5Dw9o0k
In July, the city offered a $100 debit card to residents to get a two-dose vaccine by the end of the month. New York is not alone in trying to bribe people in to get a shot. In October, Minnesota offered gift cards and scholarships to teenagers who got the vaccine. Similarly, Georgia offered its residents $150 gift cards or $450 in healthcare credits to anyone who got the vaccine in September.
For me, it seems suspicious when someone offers to pay you to take a shot that is supposed to save your life. It should be the other way around. Usually, people have to pay to go to the doctor, pay for treatment, and pay for their medication. This method to promote and encourage folks to take the shot seems thirsty to me. It actually makes me that more leary to take a booster shot or any other vaccine that the government is offering. For one and if for no other reason than whenever anytime that anyone seems too eager to offer me anything, I have to question why?
Some may argue that the government wants to save lives, which is fair. I just wonder why the government has not traditionally shown this type of effort towards other epidemics that have threatened the lives of people in this country. Why not offer criminals a cash incentive to not break the laws? Why not pay people to take other medicines that may save their lives? I know in some instances they have, but not as frequent and as open as offering this COVID vaccine.