Starting Tuesday, Columbus Public Health will be handing out $100 cash cards to Franklin County residents at select vaccine clinics.
Those who get their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can receive the cash cards at 10 new satellite vaccine clinics in various neighborhoods. The clinics include:
- Mondays: Linden Community Center (1350 Briarwood Ave.) and William H. Adams Community Center (854 Alton Ave.)
- Tuesdays: Far East Community Center (1826 Lattimer Drive) and Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services (4099 Karl Road)
- Wednesdays: Barack Community Center (580 E. Woodrow Ave.) and Somali Community Association of Ohio (3422 Cleveland Ave.)
- Thursdays: Sullivant Gardens Community Center (755 Renick St.) and Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio (4646 Tamarack Blvd.)
- Fridays: Westgate Community Center (455 S. Westgate Ave) and St. Stephen the Martyr Church (4131 Clime Road)
The cards, dubbed "Vax Cash," will also be available at Columbus Public Health's walk-in clinic, which is open every weekday.
Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Mysheika Roberts said they saw a significant decline in the number of people getting vaccinated starting in April, and didn't see as much of an increase as other Ohio counties when the the Vax A Million lottery is announced.
Roberts hopes that the $100 incentive will change that, especially in communities that are under-vaccinated.
"We also learned that our Black and Brown communities said, 'We need consistency. If you want us to get vaccinated, we don't just need you to come, show up and then leave, we need you to be here every week and show that you're dedicated to our community,'" Roberts said.
The cash cards will be offered until August 16, with Columbus Public Health purchasing around 1,400 cards. Roberts said if the program goes well, they will look to buy more.
