Minnesota is kicking off its second COVID-19 vaccination rewards program of the summer. At the urging of President Biden, Minnesota is joining a national push to increase vaccination rates to combat the alarming rise in COVID-19 infections fueled by the highly contagious delta variant. Thus, starting today, Minnesota residents 12 years of age and older that receive their first dose of the vaccine by August 15, 2021, are eligible to claim a $100 Visa gift card. Since the money to fund this effort comes from federal COVID-19 relief dollars, this limited time offer is reserved for only the first 24,330 people that register to claim their gift card at the Minnesota’s COVID-19 Response website (https://mn.gov/covid19/100/). Residents who get their first COVID shot during this window (July 30 – August 15) can begin claiming their prize online beginning Wednesday, August 4, and the reward request form will remain active until 11:59 pm on Sunday, August 15.
During the state’s initial vaccination rewards program this June, “Your Shot to Summer,” more than 17,000 Minnesotans signed up to get their first vaccine. And, according to Star Tribune healthcare reporter, Glenn Howatt, nearly three out of every five participants in the first initiative chose the offer of a $25 Visa gift card as their reward in lieu of passes to the Minnesota State Fair, the Minnesota Zoo, Valley Fair, and other prizes.
State health officials are reminding those who do take part in this push, or that have already gotten their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, how important it is to get their second dose as well approximately three weeks after the first. This is includes those receiving the Pfizer vaccine, which is currently the only COVID-19 vaccine approved for those between the ages of 12 and 17. As Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcom notes, “We are now five weeks out from the start of school. That is about how long it takes to get full immunity from the Pfizer vaccine. Do it now in order to have that full protection by the time school starts."
