If you are a resident of Houston, Texas, you can get a gift card worth $25! All you have to do is get yourself fully vaccinated. The Houston Health Department announced that they would be offering gift cards to those who will get fully vaccinated.
The program will be effective by Aug. 2, and the vaccination should be at one of their health centers or clinics. The requirement is that the person should complete the vaccination process within 42 days. Mayor Sylvester Turner supports this program because the positivity and hospitalization rates are increasing daily, and most of the affected population belongs to the unvaccinated.
Turner said: “It is our hope the new incentive offered by the Houston Health Department will encourage people to take their best shot and help save lives in the process.” The vaccines are likewise free, so Turner hopes that this will also be one of the reasons why Houston citizens will grab the opportunity to be vaccinated.
The program was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A total of 1,900 gift cards will be given that citizens can spend at Amazon, Old Navy, METRO, Ross, Shell, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart. The gift cards will be given after the first shot for Johnson & Johnson or after the second shot for those who will be vaccinated with Moderna or Pfizer.
Some called the incentive program “great,” while others said it might not be a smart move because this means using money again, which people believe the government lacks now. There were people who said that although the incentive program is great, they still won’t get vaccinated because they’ve heard bad things about it.
Health officials have been reiterating to the citizens that getting vaccinated is the number one shield against COVID-19. Even if you contract the virus after you get vaccinated, it prevents the severe effects of the virus. This has been repeated once again after many have been contracting the Delta variant of COVID-19.
The centers and clinics where you can get the free shot are Acres Home Multi-Service Center, Hiram Clarke Multi-Service Center, La Nueva Casa de Amigos Health Center, Magnolia Multi-Service Center, Northside Health Center, Sharpstown Health Services, Southwest Multi-Service Center, and Sunnyside Health Center.
