Minnesota to offer $200 gift cards, scholarships as vaccine incentives to kids

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) announced on Monday that teenagers who get their first COVID-19 vaccine dose from this week until the end of November will be eligible to receive a $200 Visa gift card.

In order to be eligible for the “Kids Deserve a Shot” program, Minnesotans must be between the ages of 12 and 17 and get their first COVID-19 vaccine dose some time between Oct. 18 and Nov. 9. They must receive their second dose by Nov. 30.

Applications for the gift card must be entered by Nov. 30.

Walz also announced that any teen who gets fully vaccinated in 2021 is eligible to be placed in a drawing for a $100,000 scholarship. The scholarship will apply to any public or private nonprofit institution in Minnesota. Five winners will be drawn between Nov. 19 and Dec. 17.

Minnesota teens: Not only are you eligible to get vaccinated, but starting today, you can also get $200 AND a shot at a $100,000 college scholarship.

Tell your friends and head to https://t.co/ZXyR6Vm1eU pic.twitter.com/xfd9jqogh4

— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) October 18, 2021

Numerous local and state governments have introduced vaccine incentive programs to boost vaccination rates among teens and young adults.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) announced in September that his state would be offering five scholarships worth $100,000 to people between the ages of 12 and 25 who get vaccinated. Between August and September, Washington, D.C., offered $51 Visa gift cards to vaccine recipients aged 12 to 17.

According to the Minnesota government’s COVID-19 dashboard, 54 percent of kids between the ages of 12 and 15 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. And about 60 percent of 16- and 17-years-olds in Minnesota have received at least one dose so far.