Wisconsinites getting their first COVID-19 dose during the next two weeks will receive $100

Those receiving their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine over the next two weeks will receive $100, part of an effort to address financial barriers people may face to access the shots, Gov. Tony Evers said Monday.

Vaccine recipients who receive their shot between Aug. 20 and Sept. 6 can fill out a form and receive a Visa gift card.

Evers said that many Wisconsinites face hurdles to vaccination, like finding a ride to a clinic, getting a babysitter to take care of their kids or not having the ability to take time off of work. He also warned about the contagiousness of the delta variant.

“The delta variant is no joke,” Evers told reporters in Oshkosh. “We are no longer in a fight against COVID-19. This is now a fight against the delta variant and all the potential variants that could follow.”

Evers said his administration has been discussing the incentive for “some time.” He decided to back the program after seeing how well similar incentives worked elsewhere.

“I’ll be quite frank with you, I was one of the skeptics,” he said. “It was time for me to move beyond that and do the incentive, and it is really important for us to make sure that this school year gets off to a good start.”

Evers’ spokeswoman Britt Cudaback said the program will be funded through Wisconsin’s share of funding provided by the federal American Rescue Plan Act.

This article first appeared in the Wisconsin Health News daily email newsletter. Sign up for your free trial here.