City officials leveraging gift cards to get people vaccinated against Covid-19 in 2023

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Local government bodies, around the world, have increasingly used gift cards as a promotional tool to boost the vaccination rate in their respective regions. This trend has further continued in 2023, especially in the United States, where city and health officials are increasingly using gift cards as a tool to increase public awareness about the continued availability of the Covid-19 booster.

Over the last four to six quarters, gift card incentive programs have been successful to encourage individuals to get vaccinated. In 2023, health officials are attempting to further drive vaccination rates through gift cards.

• In February 2023, the Cook County Department of Public Health announced that it is paying individuals US$100 in gift cards to get the bivalent Covid-19 vaccine booster. The incentive program, which is funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, involves giving away US$100 gift cards to 1,500 individuals. This equates to US$150,000 in gift card incentives.

According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 80% of the Americans have been vaccinated with the first dose of Covid-19 vaccine. However, less than 20% of the eligible population has received the latest booster dose that was authorized in August 2022. The slow uptake by individuals in receiving the bivalent booster has prompted the launch of many more gift card incentive programs, like the one announced by Cook County Health, around the United States.

• In March 2023, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health announced that it is offering US$75 gift cards to citizens that get the booster dose at select clinics throughout the month. The gift card program launched by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is also aimed at driving the vaccination rate and is similar to the one announced by the Cook County Health Department.
• Springfield-Greene County Health also announced that they will be offering US$50 gift cards to anyone that are willing to get vaccinated against Covid-19 disease. The gift cards are also available for people seeking to get their booster doses in the county. Until March 2023, the incentive gift cards were made available only for people receiving the first or second dose of vaccination and their first booster.
• In January 2023, the Department of Public Health announced that the gift card incentive program has been extended until March 2023, to prevent a future outbreak. With the aim to get more people vaccinated Lynn Community Vaccination site also announced that they will continue to offer US$75 gift cards to anyone getting their Covid-19 vaccination or booster shot.
• In December 2022, Martin University in partnership with Light of the World Christian Church and IU Health also announced a gift card incentive program to get the vaccination rates up. The university will be offering US$50 gift cards to anyone who gets their Covid-19 booster shots and flu shots.

All of these gift card incentive programs will not only accelerate the vaccination numbers but will also support individuals who are struggling with the rising cost of living. Over the last few months, many city officials, including in the United States and the United Kingdom, have launched gift card programs to support individuals that are reeling under the pressure of growing inflation and surging cost of living. City Councils in La Habra, Upland, and Portland are among the many that have launched gift card programs for their citizens to alleviate the cost of living pressure.

From the short to medium-term perspective, PayNXT360 expects more such gift card program launches to assist individuals with their monthly budget. This, coupled with the incentive gift card program launches for accelerating vaccination rate in the United States, will aid the growth of the gift card industry in the North American market over the next 12 months in 2023.

In the global market, too, PayNXT360 expects local and central government entities to keep leveraging the growing popularity of gift cards to promote flu and other vaccinations among their citizens from the short to medium-term perspective. Furthermore, gift cards are also expected to be widely used as a disbursement tool in 2023. Amid the rising inflation and cost of living pressures, many government bodies are expected to turn to gift cards in their quest to assist their citizens with monetary aid. All of these factors will keep supporting the gift card industry's growth in 2023.

To know more and gain a deeper understanding of the gift card market in the United States, click here.