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FROM BEER TO TINDER BOOSTS: THE BRIBES FOR PEOPLE TO GET JABBED

By Jack Hunter
BBC News

Published21 May 2021
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Related Topics
 * Coronavirus pandemic


Image caption,
Cash and even marijuana joints are among the freebies being offered

Beers, biryanis and even "Tinder boosts" are up for grabs as countries around
the world try to encourage hesitant people to get a Covid-19 vaccine.

Scientists say at least 65%-70% of the population need to be immunised to reach
"herd immunity" - when enough of a population has protection against an
infection that it stops being able to spread.

But there are fears some groups - especially young people - may be more hesitant
about getting a jab.

To tackle vaccine hesitancy, companies as well as local and government officials
in different countries are dreaming up eye-catching schemes to attract those
unsure about getting jabbed to come forward.


DATING APP 'BOOST'

Officials across the US - which is trying to give 70% of adults at least one
shot of the vaccine by 4 July - have various handouts to encourage people to get
vaccinated.

The latest government scheme will allow dating app users who have been
vaccinated to get a "vaccination badge" and special benefits on their profile.



The White House is partnering with several prominent dating platforms including
Tinder, Hinge, and Bumble to give access to premium content to those who can
prove they have been vaccinated, it said in a statement.

Image source, SOPA Images
Image caption,
Tinder is offering access to its "Super Like" feature to those who have been
jabbed

Getting the shot may also do more for lovers than keep them healthy, the White
House added.

"According to research from OKCupid, people who are vaccinated or plan to get
vaccinated receive 14% more Matches than people who don't plan to get
vaccinated," it revealed.

Among the extra incentives being offered by Tinder, for example, is access to
the "Super Like" feature to "help them stand out among potential matches", the
White House said.

Asked by the BBC if the scheme could be extended other countries, a Tinder
spokesperson said: "We are looking into ways we can best share information and
resources around the vaccine to our members around the world."


'VAX & SCRATCH'

The state of New Jersey has launched "Shot and a Beer", a scheme offering a free
beer to those who get their first dose in May. To claim a drink, those who have
been jabbed must take their vaccination card to one of 13 participating
breweries.


The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet
on Twitter

Some states have been offering financial incentives to boost jab take-up.

New Yorkers who get Covid-19 shots next week will receive free lottery scratch
cards with a chance to win $5m (£3.5m), State Governor Andre Cuomo announced on
Thursday.

 * Why some Americans are choosy about vaccine
 * Covid vaccines: How fast is worldwide progress?

The scheme, called "Vax & Scratch", will allow those who get vaccinated to
receive a $20 lottery ticket

"The chances of winning something are one in nine," Governor Cuomo said. "It's a
situation where everyone wins."


'POT FOR SHOTS'

Some companies are using more unconventional ways to encourage people to get
vaccinated.

The Greenhouse of Walled Lake, a marijuana dispensary in Michigan, is giving out
"pot for shots".


Image source, Greenhouse of Walled Lake
Image caption,
Some of the recipients of a Michigan marijuana dispensary's "Pot for Shots"
scheme

Since launching in February, the firm has handed out over 35,000 free joints,
according to owner Jerry Millen.

"It's been overwhelming," Mr Millen told the BBC. "I thought, what a good way to
reward people who are getting the vaccination."


GOLD NOSE RINGS

Officials in Dubai have adopted a healthier scheme to encourage people to get
vaccinated.

Residents who have been fully vaccinated will be allowed a fortnight's gym
membership, The National reports.

The "Everyone is Responsible for Everyone" scheme will give them access to a
number of popular fitness centres, the newspaper says.

In the Indian city of Rajkot, Gujarat, goldsmiths have banded together to give
women free gold nose pins for getting the jab, while men are offered a hand
blender, the ANI news agency reported.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.View original tweet
on Twitter

And a kitchen in the city of Vizianagaram, Andhra Pradesh, is handing out free
biryani to those who have been jabbed, according to The Hans newspaper.

"I feel that it's my responsibility to encourage the vaccination to protect the
society from Covid. So I am giving free biryani for the people who are
vaccinated," the newspaper quoted Kolagatla Pratap, who runs the restaurant, as
saying.


BUT DO THESE INCENTIVES WORK?

Despite the efforts to incentivise people to get jabbed, some behavioural
scientists question how effective the schemes will be.

The incentives risk being "a distraction and it could be counterproductive",
Susan Michie, a Professor of Health Psychology at University College London and
a adviser to the UK government on Covid-19, tells the BBC.

She says the most effective way to ensure people get the vaccine in the UK has
been the "intrinsic motivation" of "caring for the community".

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Media caption,
Research shows a number of young people may choose not to have a Covid-19
vaccination, as Olivia Le Poidevin reports

But, she says, if you offer people the "extrinsic motivation" of rewards, "it
undermines the whole thing".

"It's about what we do as a whole population. It's not about individuals," she
says. "We want people to understand why they're doing it: they're not doing it
for a bit of money or a bit of beer."

She fears people might be less likely to get a "booster" jab in future if the
reward is no longer there.

"Those are going to be the powerful motivators that will go on over time."


MORE ON THIS STORY

 * US state gives young people $100 to get vaccinated
   
   27 April 2021
   

 * Concern about vaccine rollout among younger people
   
   30 March 2021
   

 * US v Canada: Who won the vaccine rollout?
   
   20 May 2021
   


RELATED TOPICS

 * Coronavirus vaccines
 * Tinder
 * Dating apps
 * United States
 * Coronavirus pandemic





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