Paying people to get vaccinated?
Apparently there are proposals circulating to pay people to get vaccinated. (Summary here.) The pro/con story is familiar enough. Monetary incentives might increase the uptake rate; but they might also increase suspicion and backfire, or at least not be very effective. Given the large cost involved – the number cited in the linked article is $1,000, which could cost well over a hundred billion depending on eligibility – a small increase in vaccination rates might not be worth it.
Here is an alternative suggestive. When people get vaccinated, give them cash cards worth $100 that can only be used to purchase restaurant food for 10 days, beginning 5 days after they get vaccinated. The framing of this might be more positive than a simple cash incentive – we are paying you to go out and help jump start your local economy, especially the businesses that have been struggling so much in the epidemic. It helps to emphasize the pro-social aspect of getting vaccinated. Plus it would be much cheaper than giving everyone $1,000, and support from restaurants might help push it into the end zone in Congress.
Your cash card idea is too complicated.
KISS
I think that is a great idea.
I like how simple it is.
There are enough people ready to get vaccinated as vaccine becomes available, and a lot more watching the rollout to confirm safety and effectiveness before getting injected. Paying people to get vaccinated only makes sense as an excuse to give people money to help restart the economy. Maybe we should do it as a citizens’ stimulus bonus, only available to those with proof of vaccination or a bona fide reason they can’t be vaccinated.
The current vaccine requires two doses a month apart, and it only reaches full effectiveness after 2-6 weeks. Encouraging people to go to restaurants too early is not a great idea. Right now, I’m wondering how they are going to get people to take the second shot.
Let’s say that 40% of the population refuses to get vaccinated: as all reports of infection and death are among people who are not vaccinated they will catch on — can’t miss.
I think we oldsters (am 76) would be willing to move back our place in vaccine line to make way for school teachers — so that the grandchildren could go back to in person schooling faster. We are not so important — we are vulnerable but we have had our time — let the kids return to normality — we’ll take one more chance.
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Have a double-reverse idea how to quell pandemic. Vaccinate least vulnerable who are doing most of the spreading in restaurants and bars as well as normal occupations. The least vulnerable may be doing most of the spreading. The rest of us can hunker down while the spread dies down — or it’s our turn.
Have no idea how this would really work of course. Reminds me of NY Giant defensive coach’s game plan for the 1968 NFL championship: shut down everything but Lenny Moore — instead concentrating on Lenny Moore.
Denis:
Still no proof the vaccines will keep a person from spreading Covid.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-15/younger-people-get-vaccines-first-in-indonesia-s-unusual-rollout
:-O
I wonder how active the secondary market in these restaurant cards would be!