North Oaks Health System in Hammond, La., saw a major uptick in patients signing up to get a COVID-19 vaccine after offering a $100 cash incentive, The Advocate reported July 29.
Funded by local businesses and government agencies, the hospital will distribute payments to the first 500 people who signed up to get Pfizer's two-dose COVID-19 vaccine. People will get $50 after receiving the first shot and another $50 when they return for the second dose.
All 500 appointments scheduled for July 31 under the incentive program are full, according to the report. The first 400 slots were taken three days after the sign-up opened. Another 100 slots were added a few days later, which took just 24 hours to fill.
"Clearly there is a portion of the population who delayed vaccination not wanting to be 'the first in line' for a new therapy," Robert Peltier, MD, CMO of North Oaks Health System, told The Advocate. "Now that we are in the midst of a fourth wave predominately amongst the unvaccinated, attitudes about vaccinations are changing 一 albeit slowly."