Vaccine Incentives in the City
by Wylie Kalotay-Nemec
All over the United States, vaccination rates are slowing down. Because of this problem, many incentives have been put out by companies and state governments to get more people vaccinated. In this article, we will look at these incentives in New York City.
Food
A lot of people know this already, but when you go to a Krispy Kreme any time this year and you show them your vaccination card, you can get a free glazed donut. A 15 year old in my building says that deal is “good.”
Also, if you go to Shake Shack any time this year, you can get free french fries, which is helpful if you are hungry and don’t have any money with you.
NYC Travel + Attractions
There are a lot of travel incentives in NYC. For example, once you get your vaccine, you get a 10 ride free pass for the NYC ferry system and you can get a 2 week free membership to Citi Bike.
Fellow 7th grader and journalist Finley Keene says, “I think it is good, I think it is encouraging. In other countries, it wouldn’t work because they are smart, but in this country, most people are so doubtful of the vaccine that it is doing something to change vaccination rates.”
You can also get a free ferry ticket to Liberty Island. That brings us to our next topic, attractions. There are many fun places to visit with your vaccination card. One of them is a free ride on the Cyclone in Coney Island, and another is a free membership for one year to go to public theaters.
The Scholarship Program
Andrew Cuomo announced 3 weeks ago that if your child has gotten a shot of the COVID-19 vaccine, you could enter them to win a full scholarship to a SUNY or CUNY school. 7th Grader from the Shuang Wen School, Julian Jovanivic, says, “I think that it is cool that they are doing that, but it is sad that some people are only getting the vaccine for that reason and not because it helps out.” The scholarship program lasts for 5 weeks, and 10 people get chosen every week.
Although many people believe that incentives shouldn’t be necessary to push people to get the vaccine and protect themselves and others, if you are still unsure about getting the vaccine, hopefully these incentives will push you to get it.