DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — People who can confirm they are a Douglas County resident and have not yet been vaccinated for COVID can be eligible to receive an incentive if they get the shot.
According to a statement from Douglas County, the first 100 people over age 12 to book an appointment and get vaccinated against COVID-19 at the county's annual September Saturdays event from Sept. 18 to Sept. 19 will receive a $100 gift card.
The new incentive is offered for both the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which will be available at September Saturdays.
Commission Chair Romona Jackson Jones said 41% of Douglas County's 144,000 residents are fully vaccinated and 47% have at least one dose as of Tuesday.
"That statistic means that more than half of our county residents are still not protected from the virus. We’ve seen how successful these types of incentive programs have been for other jurisdictions. We are hoping for that same kind of success here," Jones said.
DeKalb County's CEO Michael Thurmond said their vaccination incentive program has been productive. Across four of the county's vaccination events, people have received monetary incentives. 2,526 people were vaccinated at DeKalb's most recent event in late August.
The first gift cards in Douglas County will be distributed among residents on Saturday at the courthouse. The county says the first 200 residents who book an appointment and get the vaccine during the September Saturdays event on Sept. 25 will also get a $100 gift card.
The gift cards are funded by Douglas County’s allotment of the American Rescue Plan Act, according to the county. Residents who have already been fully vaccinated or who do not live in Douglas County are not eligible for the incentive.
Residents can register for the event online here.