Reynolds All Out Of Ideas For Boosting Iowa Vaccinations

By Nikoel Hytrek

June 3, 2021

With vaccination rates stalling and demand plummeting in Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters yesterday she doesn’t plan to offer incentives for getting vaccinated against COVID-19.

That means no lottery, no giveaways, no cash payments.

Reynolds said pop-up clinics at sporting events and the Des Moines farmer’s market are enough to catch those who haven’t yet taken advantage of the COVID-19 vaccine.

“We’re still doing everything we can,” she said at an event yesterday. “We are working with every venue we can.”

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Famously, Ohio introduced a million-dollar lottery people entered if they got a COVID vaccine. As of May 26, vaccintaions there were up more than 40%.

Other states quickly followed suit with their own lotteries. Others have offered incentives like savings bond programs, discounts on or giveaways of food and beer from participating state businesses, and exclusive live, in-person events for the fully vaccinated.

Come get vaccinated and grab a beer, on us, to enjoy what looks to be a beautiful Thursday!

🍻We’ll see you from 4-8 pm at The Reach at @kencen. No appointment necessary. pic.twitter.com/YQBXs5FRa1

— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) May 4, 2021

Iowa’s private sector is stepping up a bit. Hy-Vee has started offering $10 gift cards for people who complete the vaccine at Hy-Vee or one of the store’s pop-up clinics.

Local-level officials in Iowa are looking into incentives for vaccinating their residents but haven’t released details.

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According to state data, over 1.3 million Iowans are fully vaccinated, including single-dose vaccines and completion of two doses. Last month, the state turned down more supply of the vaccine because demand had petered out by the end of April, when eligibility opened up to adults over 16.

“We’re just going to continue to look at ways that we can work with communities across the state, with our clinics, with our physicians,” Reynolds said Wednesday. “And so if we need to do something different, we can assess and do that. But, you know, I think they’re available to anyone who wants them.”

by Nikoel Hytrek
Posted 6/3/21

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Nikoel Hytrek

Nikoel Hytrek is Iowa Starting Line’s longest-serving reporter. She covers LGBTQ issues, abortion rights and all topics of interest to Iowans. Her biggest goal is to help connect the dots between policy and people’s real lives. If you have story ideas or tips, send them over to [email protected].

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