Seattle Metropolitan Chamber Of Commerce – Group Information : Vaccine Incentives Rolled Out With Eyes On 70% Benchmark

Your King County Update on COVID-19

Through our partnership with King County, we provide you with relevant information in real time about the latest developments in relation to vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccinations are the critical pathway to safe, sustainable reopening and recovery, and our business community is a key ambassador in this work.

Last week brought new incentives to promote vaccination nationally and here in Washington state. New research into possible rare health side effects of mRNA vaccines has been initiated. Public Health – Seattle and King County continue to work closely with the Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control on the impact on King County’s residents.

On May 19, Public Health Director Patty Hayes announced her resignation from the department after 30 years in the public service. Her last day was May 28th. Public Health – Seattle & King County has a new interim director to lead the Department of Health – Dennis Worsham – while the executive conducts a national search for a permanent director.

Vaccination incentives

In an effort to increase the number of people vaccinated and meet his goal of at least partially vaccinating 70% of adults by July 4th, President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday a “month of action” to urge more Americans to speak out against COVID beforehand -19 to get vaccinated the vacation. Regarding the freedom America is about to experience, the government will continue its plan to use public-private partnerships to ensure vaccines are available and incentivize action to:

• Anheuser-Busch announced that if President Biden’s 70 percent target is reached, it will buy those over the age of 21 a round of beer.
• Early childhood centers like KinderCare, Learning Care Group, Bright Horizons, and more than 500 YMCAs work with the White House to offer free childcare to Americans who want to get vaccinated or need help recovering from potential side effects.
• DoorDash makes gift cards available to community health centers for distribution.
• CVS started a competition with free cruises and Super Bowl tickets as prizes.
• Major League Baseball continues to host vaccinations and ticket giveaways on-site.
• Kroger will be giving $ 1 million to one vaccinated person every week this month, along with free groceries to dozens of people for the year.

Here in Washington state, Governor Jay Inslee on Thursday announced a series of incentives to encourage new vaccinations, as well as rewarding those who have already received their COVID-19 vaccine. The governor’s office will work with the Washington State Lottery, higher education institutions, sports teams, and technology companies to give prizes to vaccinated individuals. These include:

• Lottery Cash Draws – A drawing of $ 250,000 per week for four weeks with a final drawing of $ 1 million at the end of the month.
• Nearly $ 1 million was given out to public four-year universities and two-year community and technical colleges to create their own drawings for free tuition and expenses for vaccinated students, as well as 30 prizes for one-year student loans directly to families of 12-17 year olds through the GET program.
• Numerous ticket offers and prices from major Seattle sports teams.
• Department of Commerce, Association of Washington Business and local chambers of commerce gift card programs, as well as the Department of Health and State Parks.

All Washington State vaccine incentive awards are drawn from the Department of Health’s vaccine database to determine winners. All Washingtonians have to do is get vaccinated or get their vaccine to have a chance of winning.

Myocarditis Updates

The Department of Health and Public Health – Seattle & King County is currently investigating reports of a slight increase in myocarditis cases after COVID mRNA vaccines among 16-30 year olds last month. Myocarditis is inflammation of the heart muscle and is treatable or clears on its own.

Currently, according to the district, scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have not yet established whether there is a link between COVID-19 mRNA vaccines and this limited number of cases. The Department of Health and Public Health – Seattle & King County has alerted health care providers to be aware of these conditions and will continue to assess whether there is a link. The emergence of this information and research across the country are signs that vaccine safety systems are working.

Vaccination progress

Great strides in vaccination in King County continues as we expand protection to more and more people in our community and increase the ability for all of us to do more with others as safely as possible. The most important thing we can do to reduce infections, hospital stays, and accelerate reopening is to keep increasing our vaccination rates.

It’s still incredibly easy to get vaccinated across King County, with access points across the county taking in patients without an appointment. COVID-19 vaccinations are made available to all people free of charge. Most locations now offer a choice of at least two vaccines available.

This press release was prepared by the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce – Community News. The views expressed here are your own.