According to the Treasury Department, the Biden administration is asking states and local governments for $100 to each newly vaccinated American. This is the latest federal effort by the government to increase vaccination rates, as COVID-19 continues its surge across the country. It was prompted by the contagious Delta variant.The American Rescue Plan could be used to provide funding for the payments by states. Although the administration does not mandate the incentive, the Treasury Department stated that it is working with the Department of Health and Human Services in order to assist governments in rolling it out.New York City announced that $100 would be given to anyone who received a shot at the city's vaccination centers. Mayor Bill De Blasio stated Wednesday that $100 is a significant amount of money. The program begins Friday.According to Elisa Sobo (an anthropologist at San Diego State University, who studies vaccine hesitancy), financial incentives could be a way for some people to get their shots. Some people who are currently on the fence about getting vaccinated will find $100 a motivating reason to reconsider. Some people will find the offer offensive, while others will see it as proof that the vaccine doesn't work.Since April, the United States has seen a steady decline in vaccination rates. As people from states experiencing major epidemics and those with the lowest vaccination rates sign up, they have started to tick up.Biden will also announce today a mandate for federal workers to get vaccines.
