Minnesota extends $100 vaccine reward program
FILE - In this Monday, April 26, 2021 file photo, a nursing student administers the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination center at UNLV in Las Vegas.[AP Photo/John Locher/File]
The state is extending its $100 reward program for getting COVID-19 vaccinations due to high demand and a rising vaccination rate.
Gov. Tim Walz’s office said the vaccination reward program is now being extended through Aug. 22.
Any Minnesotan who receives their first COVID-19 vaccination through Aug. 22 can submit a request for a $100 Visa gift card online.
The governor’s office says 55,456 newly-vaccinated Minnesotans have submitted reward requests since Aug. 4, and the state’s weekly first dose vaccination rate has increased 129% over the past month.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates Minnesota leads the Midwest in percentage of the overall population with a completed vaccination series (54.6%) and residents ages 65 and older with at least one dose (93.2%), the governor’s office says.
Walz’s office says adolescent COVID-19 vaccinations have also increased since the state’s "Vax to School" campaign started last month, with over 20,000 12- to 17-year-olds getting their first dose during the campaign so far.
Minnesotans can walk in or make an appointment through the state’s Vaccine Connector.