HOUSTON — If you haven't gotten the COVID-19 vaccine yet, this might change your mind: the Houston Health Department will give out gift cards to newly vaccinated people.
Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the plan last week and City Council approved it today. People who get vaccinated at city of Houston locations will get a $100 gift card for the first dose and a $50 one for the second. There will not be a payment for the booster.
Mayor Turner hopes the gift cards will encourage more Houstonians to get vaccinated.
“With the more contagious Delta variant rapidly spreading and cases surging, it is critically urgent that we vaccinate more people in our community,” Mayor Sylvester Turner said. “It is in everyone’s best interest that all eligible Houstonians get vaccinated to save lives."
This is separate from Harris County giving out $100 for people getting the shot.
$150 in gift cards
Here's out it works.
- $100 gift cards will be given out by the Houston Health Department after the first dose at its health centers and multi-service centers beginning Thursday, August 26.
- Those who get the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer will get another $50 gift card.
- People who get the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine will receive $100.
- They have 20,000 Mastercard gift cards to hand out.
“It’s vital that people get both doses of a two-dose series for the best protection,” said Dr. David Persse, chief medical officer for the City of Houston, last week. “Full vaccination is extremely effective at preventing people from getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19.”
Money talks
The new incentive program is funded by $3.125 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.
People participating in the department’s previous incentive program that provided $25 with their second dose will receive $50 under the new program.
The CDC funding used for the previous program capped incentives at $25 when the program launched.
Participants must sign a sworn declaration affirming they were not previously vaccinated for COVID-19 and verification will occur using the Texas immunization database.
Houston Health Department-affiliated COVID-19 vaccination sites are available with or without appointments. Locations are available at HoustonEmergency.org or by calling 832-393-4220.
Eligible clinic locations and hours of operation:
- Acres Home Multi-Service Center, 6719 W. Montgomery Rd.
Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. - Hiram Clarke Multi-Service Center, 3810 W. Fuqua St.
Tuesdays: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. - La Nueva Casa de Amigos Health Center, 1809 North Main St.
Mondays/Thursdays: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. - Magnolia Multi-Service Center, 7037 Capitol St.
Thursdays: 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Saturdays: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. - Northside Health Center, 8504 Schuller Rd.
Mondays/Thursdays: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. - Sharpstown Health Services, 6201 Bonhomme Rd.
Mondays/Thursdays: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. - Southwest Multi-Service Center, 6400 High Star Dr.
Saturdays: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. - Sunnyside Health Center, 4605 Wilmington St.
Mondays/Thursdays: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.