Topic: Arkansas vaccine incentives not working: Health officials
Arkansas's million-dollar stick and carrot has failed to pick up its lagging COVID-19 numbers, according to recent health data.
Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson took a page from other states, such as Ohio and New York, and introduced a vaccine incentive program for slot pg residents who are eligible for their shots on May 25. The million-dollar program gave out an Arkansas Lottery Scholarship $20 scratch. -off ticket or a $20 gift certificate for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission for new first doses.
At the time of the announcement, the state's seven-day average of new vaccine doses administered was around 8,300, a far cry from its peak of 22,000 in early April, according to the state Health Department data. Since then, the numbers have decreased and leveled out and as of June 28, the seven-day average is 4,833, the data showed.
"I don't know if we're going to be able to buy our way out of this," Col. Robert Ator, the program director of the Arkansas vaccine incentive program told ABC affiliate KATV.
Health experts said that Arkansas should refocus its efforts to combat the state's issues on access to free vaccines and hesitancy from residents if they truly want to pick up their pace.
Only 2,482 lottery tickets and 926 Game and Fish Licenses have been given out as part of the incentive program, according to a Health Department spokeswoman.
As of Tuesday, 1.26 million Arkansas residents have at least one vaccine dose, which is equivalent to roughly 42% of the state's entire population, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nationally, 54.2% of the population has one vaccine dose, according to the CDC.