Minnesota To Announce Incentives to Get Vaccinated

(KNSI) – Minnesota is getting ready to announce incentives to encourage people to get the COVID-19 Vaccine.

It’s part of Governor Tim Walz’s plan to get 70% of the state’s population 16 and older vaccinated by July 1st. Director of the

Infectious Disease Epidemiology for Minnesota Kris Ehresmann says using incentives isn’t new to public health.

“You know, incentives are a tool that we use in public health on a regular basis. They have been identified, as you know, an evidence-based tool to help people make public health decisions.”

She says incentives have been used in the past to complete therapy for tuberculosis, encouraging people to get tested when Minnesota has had outbreaks of HIV or syphilis.

Ehresmann says offering incentives can be a little tricky.

“The incentives that are given are enough value that is a value to the individual but are intended to be a small enough value, that they would not be considered coercion because it’s important that people are making their own decisions.”

The Governor will announce the complete list of new incentives at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

The news comes after Governor Walz announced last week that the Minnesota Wild, Twins, Lynx, and Minnesota United FC are now offering free COVID-19 vaccines to attendees at games.

___