Story at a glance
- Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said Monday that state employees who get the coronavirus vaccine will receive $100 payments.
- “Incentives like this are another way to reinforce the importance of getting vaccinated, and we strongly encourage businesses across the state to consider offering incentives to their workers as well,” Hogan said.
- All state employees who provide proof of vaccination and agree to any CDC recommended booster shot within 18 months of vaccination are eligible for the incentive.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) said Monday that state employees who get the coronavirus vaccine will receive $100 payments.
“With this incentive program, we are further encouraging state employees to get vaccinated to help keep themselves, their families, and their communities healthy and safe,” Hogan said in a statement.
“Incentives like this are another way to reinforce the importance of getting vaccinated, and we strongly encourage businesses across the state to consider offering incentives to their workers as well,” Hogan added. “These vaccines are safe and effective, they’re free, and they’re readily available with or without an appointment.”
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All state employees who provide proof of vaccination and agree to any Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended booster shot within 18 months of vaccination are eligible for the incentive. Employees who have already been vaccinated will also qualify for the payment.
The incentive program will cost around $5 million, and the state is looking into whether it can use federal COVID-19 relief funding to cover the bill, Hogan spokesperson Mike Ricci told The Baltimore Sun.
Maryland has vaccinated 62 percent of residents 18 and older, Hogan’s statement said. Overall, 4.9 million vaccinations have been administered in the state.
Hogan’s administration said it is working with unions to enact the program, and officials from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Maryland Council 3 (AFSCME) told the paper it is involved in discussion to hammer out the details of the plan.
“AFSCME wants to ensure that all health and safety measures are taken. We have begun to bargain about this and other topics to ensure our members and the public are made safe,” Stuart Katzenberg, director of bargaining for the union said, according to the paper. “Too many state employees and citizens who use state services have been unnecessarily infected by the insufficient efforts of the Hogan administration.”
“We look forward to continuing to bargain and getting a written agreement with the administration about vaccinations and health and safety,” Katzenberg added.
Vaccination campaigns across the country have employed various creative means to incentivize their residents to get vaccinated. West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice (R) announced last week that his state would offer $100 payments to young people between the ages of 16 and 35.
“Every single one of our young people — we’re going to give a $100 savings bond to every single one that steps up and takes their vaccines,” Justice said, adding that vaccinating younger residents will accelerate the state’s battle against COVID-19.
“They’re not taking vaccines as fast as we’d like them to take them,” Justice said. “If we really want to move the needle, we’ve got to get our younger people vaccinated.”
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Published on May 04,2021