Wisconsinites who get vaccinated now through Sept. 6 can receive a $100 Visa gift card
MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Gov. Tony Evers on Monday, Aug. 23, with the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS), announced Wisconsin residents who receive their first dose of any COVID-19 vaccine from a Wisconsin provider between Aug. 20 and Sept. 6 can collect a $100 Visa gift card.
Wisconsinites ages 12 and older are eligible for the reward, and proof of insurance, ID, or citizenship are not required to be eligible for the vaccine or to receive the $100 reward.
“As our kids start returning back to school, and with the Delta variant spreading rapidly across the state, we all need to step up and stop the spread, and our COVID-19 vaccines are the best tools we have to do just that,” said Gov. Evers. “From now through Labor Day, if you’re a Wisconsin resident and you get your first COVID-19 shot here in the state, you will get $100 bucks. It’s that simple: get vaccinated, get $100. I'm calling on all eligible Wisconsinites who have not gotten their COVID-19 vaccine yet to step up, roll up their sleeve, and do their part to help protect our state and put an end to COVID-19.”
In order to receive the $100 Visa gift card, Wisconsin residents will need to fill out the form available HERE. Information submitted will be used to verify that individuals received their first vaccine dose from a vaccine provider located in Wisconsin between Aug. 20 and Sept. 6. Visa cards will be mailed to the individual's Wisconsin address and may take up to six weeks to be mailed to participants.
Over at Hayat Pharmacy, Dr. Hasim Zaibak said it's already something people are talking about.
"We have a lot of people who have been calling us, the phones have been ringing and people are asking questions. And that's why we created a little document here to let people know what to do and how to get their reward," said Dr. Zaibak.
"Don't wait until Sept. 6 to get vaccinated to get the 100 bucks. Let's get vaccinated Wisconsin, and let's get back to our Wisconsin way of life safely," said Gov. Evers, "We are no longer in the fight against COVID-19, this is now a fight against delta variant."
For more information on the reward program, visit the DHS $100 reward page or call 844-684-1064. Language assistance is available. To find a COVID-19 vaccine location in your community, visit Vaccines.gov or call 2-1-1 or 877-947-2211.
“COVID-19 is continuing to spread and mutate into highly transmissible variants like the Delta variant. Fortunately, the science and data are showing us that we can protect ourselves and our loved ones by getting vaccinated,” said DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake. “The vaccines are extremely safe. They are highly effective at preventing severe illness, hospitalization and death. And they are critical to protecting our kids, our health care workers and the most vulnerable people in our state. Let’s not give COVID-19 the opportunity to keep mutating: roll up your sleeve, get your vaccine, and claim your $100.”
Many Wisconsinites face financial barriers to access the COVID-19 vaccine—factors such as transportation, child care, or the inability to take time off from work, which can make it difficult for many to get vaccinated. The $100 COVID-19 Vaccine Reward Program will provide some additional support to those wanting to get protected against COVID-19. In addition to this reward, Wisconsinites can call 2-1-1 to get assistance finding transportation. There are also some services being offered by national companies listed on the COVID-19 Vaccine Incentives webpage. For those who have been financially impacted by the pandemic, visit the COVID-19 Response Resources webpage for a list of available support services.
Dr. Zaibak said this incentive, along with the FDA's full approval of the Pfizer vaccine, could help motivate more people to get vaccinated.
"For some people it's protecting their family, for some people that might be a financial incentive, for some people it might be that FDA approval," said Dr. Zaibak.
He said the path towards higher vaccination numbers is figuring out what each person's reasoning is.
"What's preventing them from getting the vaccine and removing those obstacles, and hopefully that that's going to get us all as a state and as a nation to the herd immunity soon," said Dr. Zaibak.
The $100 COVID-19 Vaccine Reward Program is part of the ongoing effort to stop the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant by encouraging Wisconsinites to get vaccinated. Wisconsin continues to experience an increase of COVID-19 cases, driven by the Delta variant. The Delta variant is much more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19. With the original strain of COVID-19, an infected person was likely to infect two other people who are likely to infect two additional people for a total of six cases from one infection. With the Delta variant, an infected person is likely to infect five people which can lead to an approximate total of 30 cases from just one infection.