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These days you can get free doughnuts, a beer on the house, tickets to an amusement park, a no-cost hunting license or cold, hard cash if you get a COVID-19 vaccination.
And then there's Ohio: The governor there recently announced that adults who get vaccines will be eligible to enter a drawing for one of five $1 million awards, or for teens, one of five full, four-year scholarships to an Ohio state school, including room and board, tuition and books.
Carl Hunnel, 60, the city editor for the Richland Source news organization based in Mansfield, Ohio, already has been vaccinated, but he says he'll be signing up for the lottery. “I've already got the shot, so if they say go to this website and fill this out ... I'd be dumb not to,” he says.
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Judging by the variety of incentives out there, tangible encouragements are seen as just the nudge some reluctant vaccine takers need.
Emily Largent, an assistant professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, says using diverse incentives — ranging from free food to cash and gift cards — will encourage people with different motivations to get vaccinated. The offers may be particularly helpful for younger people or those without preexisting conditions who are less concerned about the public health benefits of vaccinations.
"The variety is probably good, just like how everybody wants something different at a smorgasbord,” Largent says. “We give people more options and hopefully encourage more people to come along.”
Some won't be swayed by freebies, particularly those who are wary of vaccines, she says: “There are a lot of reasons why people aren't getting vaccinated, and incentives will not help with all of those reasons."
For those who want to go all in and get the most out of their vaccinations, here's some of what's being offered:
Employer incentives
Many companies are paying their employees in some form or fashion, from paid time off to gift cards or cash.
Grocery chain Aldi is providing up to four hours of paid time off for hourly workers who get vaccinated. Discount chain Dollar General is offering a stipend for vaccinated workers worth four work hours. Publix is handing out $125 gift cards to employees who show proof of their completed vaccination. One Georgia city, Acworth, is offering $200 Walmart gift cards to all 165 of its government employees.
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And then there's cash. A few months ago, the Scarlet Pearl Casino Resort in D'Iberville, Mississippi, began giving hourly employees — around 800 of them — $300 in cash each to get fully vaccinated. If employees get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, they'll get the full amount all at once. If they get one of the two-dose shots from Pfizer or Moderna, they'll get $150 for each dose, says Vicki Haskins, the casino's director of promotions, events and entertainment.
"A lot of our associates took advantage of it,” she says.
The casino is making it even easier on employees by running a vaccination clinic on the property, open to employees and their immediate families.
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Tasty snacks and drinks
Starting in late March, Krispy Kreme was one of the first businesses to offer a lip-smacking incentive to get people vaccinated, giving customers free glazed doughnuts every day for the rest of the year. Want more free treats? Until May 31, burger legend White Castle is giving out a free “dessert on a stick” to anyone with proof of vaccination.
For more of a meal, if you get your shot at a mobile vaccination site in New York City you can now get a voucher for a Shake Shack burger, and starting June 12, you can get a free order of crinkle fries if you show your vaccine card.
If hot dogs are more your style, Nathan's Famous will give you a free dog at its Coney Island, New York, location if you stop by the same day you get your vaccination — with proof, of course.
Entertainment
It's been a long time since people have been able to enjoy entertainment that's not on a screen. Fully vaccinated Chicagoans only can get access to the city's summer concert series, kicking off May 22 in Hyde Park.
Also in Illinois, Six Flags Great America announced it will donate 50,000 tickets to two of its amusements parks for those who are newly vaccinated in the state.
And if you're not vaccinated yet, plan to get your shot at Yankee Stadium or Citi Field before heading into a Yankees or a Mets baseball game. The state of New York is partnering with the two teams to provide fans with a ticket voucher to a 2021 or 2022 regular home game after they receive their vaccines throughout May and June.
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Get outside
Do you love the outdoors and live in Maine? Then you might want to get vaccinated. Starting this month, Mainers with proof of vaccination can choose from a free fishing or hunting license, a wildlife park or state park pass, a $20 L.L. Bean gift card, or an admission ticket to see the Portland Sea Dogs baseball team or the Oxford Plains Speedway races.
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Free services
If you have trouble getting to a vaccination site, the White House has partnered with ride-hailing companies Uber and Lyft to provide free rides to vaccination sites. The partnership will start in a couple of weeks and continue until July 4.
New York City is also offering free rides — but on the subway or by commuter rail. Those who get vaccinated at a pop-up stop inside a subway or rail station can get a free 7-day unlimited metro card or two one-way commuter rail tickets.
Office Depot is doing lamination of vaccine cards for free, but there's still debate over whether that is recommended.
State incentives
It's hard to beat Ohio's chance at a million bucks, but other states are getting in on the game, too. For the already vaccinated and the soon-to-be vaccinated, West Virginia will give a $100 savings bond to every resident between 16 and 35 years old.
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People line up to receive a free marijuana cigarette after showing proof of a COVID-19 vaccination at Union Square on April 20, 2021 in New York City.
Beer and weed
For May, New Jerseyans can sip on a cold beer at no cost while enjoying the approach of summer simply by showing their vaccine card at a participating brewery. Similarly, Illinois is proposing legislation to allow bars to offer customers a free drink with proof of vaccination.
In several cities, including Washington, D.C., marijuana legalization advocacy groups have been doling out free joints or bags of marijuana to those who show proof of vaccination, dubbing the effort #jointsforjabs. The website Pot in Illinois is tracking a list of places to get these special freebies.
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