Finding another reason to head to vaccine clinic

Gordon Stevens did not hesitate when his number came up last Friday for the Pfizer vaccine.

“Sore arm, mild headache for 24 hours, a little tired,” the proprietor of the Uncommon Grounds group of coffee shops said of the jab's aftermath. “So, not unlike a regular Friday night if you overindulge.”

In case that prospect is too much for some folk, as of Wednesday, Stevens is offering an incentive for those who get the vaccine, and a thank-you to the same folks for helping to keep the rest of us safe: a free Uncommon Grounds coffee for anyone with proof of vaccine.

“Not a big thing but every little bit helps,” he told me.

You would not think that it would be necessary to convince people to take a vaccine that all reputable science agrees will make you less likely to get the coronavirus, and less likely to die

of it if you do — but people are funny, and the noise about vaccine effectiveness is confusing.

Which means that what Stevens says is absolutely true: anything that makes people get vaccinated is a good thing.

No wonder the rush is on to find novel ways to get people to take the plunge.

Just Wednesday, as Stevens was ramping up his campaign, the White House announced that Uber and Lyft will provide free rides to and from vaccination sites from May 24 to July 24, all in the interests of achieving Joe Biden’s goal of ensuring 70 per cent of Americans have at least one dose of the vaccine by the Fourth of July.

The United States president, it is worth noting, was, for the right reasons, jumping on a band wagon. As a recent piece in U.S. Newsworld Report pointed out, in March, Krispy Kreme gave out free donuts to anyone who had gotten their COVID-19 vaccine.

Since then, as the newsmagazine’s headline declared “Cities, states and businesses are providing perks to individuals who have received their coronavirus vaccines.”

In Maryland and West Virginia, vaccinators get US$100. In the Detroit area, anybody who schedules and drives a neighbour to their first vaccine appointment gets a $50 credit.

Meanwhile, residents of New Jersey who receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine during the month of May, can get a free brewski. Strong beverages are also being used to lure folks to vaccination clinics in Connecticut and Washington, D.C., while U.S. News &World Report says the state of Illinois is crafting legislation that would allow bars and restaurants there to give vaccinated customers a free swill of something alcoholic.

There is more: New Yorkers who get vaccinated at ballparks are eligible for Mets and Yankees tickets; vaccinated Chicagoans will soon be eligible to attend free concerts and music events open to those who are fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.

The bar, then, is high in the vaccination sweepstakes. With all due respect to Stevens, we had better up our game if we hope to reach the government’s stated goal of having a first dose in every Nova Scotian’s arm in June.

There is no point trying to take the high road; our willingness to accept rum and paving gravel for voting support during elections is well-documented. In other words, the hooch incentive is definitely worth a try even if the traditional mickey of rum may no longer work for today’s more-refined palates.

Given the price of building materials, a single pine twoby-four or bundle of roofing shingles might also get some of us out to the vaccination clinic. And let us not forget about the popularity of baking during the pandemic, ensuring that a vial of sourdough starter is handed to every person as they leave the vaccination clinic could work too.

Since all effective marketing depends upon understanding the customer, a free donair, slice of Pictou County pizza, or mug of hodgepodge may do the trick for some, but not all of us.

Altruism, it must never be forgotten, is one of the shining characteristics of the people of this province. Therefore, who knows, maybe promising anyone who receives a vaccination that, in their honour, a $10 contribution will be made to a Gofundme campaign to repatriate Theodore Tugboat from Ontario could be well received.