Is $100 Enough to Convince You to Take the COVID-19 Vaccine?

A Texas judge announced her strategy to get more people in the Houston area vaccinated. 

According to NBC DFW, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announced today (August 17) that the county will pay $100 cash to those who take their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. 

The payment will be made to those who get their first dose of the vaccine at a Harris County Public Health site by August 31, no strings attached.

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The county is even taking it a step further by offering free rides to and from the county’s 10 vaccination sites. The vaccine itself is free to anyone ages 12 and older that wants to receive it. 

Judge Hidalgo cited the fact that the majority of COVID-related hospitalizations involve those who haven’t been vaccinated: 

Over the past several months, the delta variant of COVID-19 has spread quickly across Harris County, straining hospital systems and disproportionately impacting unvaccinated residents. Over 98% of people currently hospitalized for COVID-19 in the Harris Health System have not been vaccinated.

The $100 payout and transportation costs come from $2.3 million the county invested in the program using funds from the American Rescue Plan. 

There are some states that are offering monetary incentives to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but Governor Greg Abbott said that even though he encourages everyone to get vaccinated, “we don't believe in using monetary inducements in the state of Texas” while speaking with NBC DFW in June.

So, would $100 be enough to convince you to take the jab or is there not enough money in the world to persuade you to get the vaccine?