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D.C. Gives Residents $50 for COVID-19 Vaccine and Chance to Win a Car

By Jordyn Burrell

As incentives to take the COVID-19 vaccine, D.C. residents will receive a $50 Visa gift card, and they will be eligible for raffle prizes such as two roundtrip flight vouchers, a 2021 Jeep and Ford, and a $10,000 grocery voucher. (Photo: Creative Commons)

Mayor Muriel Bowser offered incentives for any person 12 years or older who gets vaccinated at one of three sites: the RISE Demonstration Center, Anacostia High School and Ron Brown High School.

Everyone will receive a $50 Visa gift card, and they will be eligible for raffle prizes such as two roundtrip flight vouchers, a 2021 Jeep and Ford, and a $10,000 grocery voucher through the end of July.

“It’s really cool that they offer incentives, unlike in Atlanta where when I got vaccinated you just get a pat on the back,” said Sydney Sims, a senior studying sports medicine at Howard University. “I think it makes people more excited to do it and encourages people to bring others they know to get vaccinated, which I think is really important because people are so skeptical of the vaccine right now.”

Sims says that other cities and states with low vaccination percentages should also create incentives for their residents.

“If you look at states with lower vaccination populations, you’ll most likely see they are offering nothing to people who get the vaccine” she said. “On one side, I feel like people should just get the vaccine because it’s the right thing to do. But on the other hand, I do feel like the people who are going to get vaccinated before it’s mandatory should be getting some type of incentive because we don’t have to get the vaccine right now, technically.”

Giveaway rules and schedules are posted on coronavirus.dc.gov/incentives, and walk-up sites are listed at coronavirus.dc.gov/vaccinatedc.