Douglas County Offering $100 Gift Cards As Vaccine Incentives

DOUGLASVILLE, GA — Douglas County Government and Douglas Public Health are offering monetary rewards to encourage vaccinations, the county announced Tuesday.

The first 100 people 12 and older who book an appointment and receive the COVID-19 vaccine at the September Saturdays event this weekend will receive a $100 prepaid gift card. The first 200 Douglas County residents who book an appointment and get a vaccine during the Sep. 25 September Saturdays event will also receive a $100 gift card.

The roughly $30,000 program is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act stimulus.

Only 39.7% of Douglas County residents have received both vaccine doses, according to data from nonprofit Covid Act Now. 45.7% have received one dose. Meanwhile, infection rates are approaching levels not seen since last winter’s surge, with roughly 144 new cases each day as of last Saturday. In early July, by contrast, the county was only reporting four new cases per day.

“That statistic means that more than half of our County residents are still not protected from the virus,”Douglas County Board of Commissioners Chair Dr. Romona Jackson Jones said of the county’s vaccination rates in a new release. “We’ve seen how successful these types of incentive programs have been for other jurisdictions. We are hoping for that same kind of success here.”

On Monday, the City of Savannah, Chatham County, and other local government agencies voted to offer a $500 vaccine incentive to all full and part-time employees. Starting Monday, all Coweta County residents 12 and older will receive a $100 gift card for each shot received. Several more programs have been initiated across Georgia and the United States.

Participants must provide proof that they are a resident of Douglas County, and not fully vaccinated. By registering, participants give permission for their Georgia Immunization Record to be accessed to verify vaccination status. Eligible individuals 12-17 must verify they have parent or guardian permission to accept the card.

The September Saturday's events will offer the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Eligible residents can register here.