Oakland County to give $50 gift card to those who get COVID-19 shot by July 4 – Detroit Free Press

Oakland County residents who haven't received a COVID-19 vaccine yet can get a $50 gift card from the county health division if they get one by the Fourth of July.

The incentivekicks off Thursday and is forcounty residents age 12 and older who are eligible for a vaccine,with officials hoping to entice younger adults and teens as only 54% of county residents ages 16to 29 have received their first shot.

RN Danielle White with the Oakland County Health Department, left, administers the Pfizer Covid vaccine to third year pre-med student Gerard Knittel, 20, of Almont as Oakland University holds a Covid vaccine clinic at their Recreation Center for 18-24-year olds Tuesday, April 13, 2021.(Photo: Mandi Wright, Detroit Free Press)

The gift card will be for any county residentwho receives at least one dose ofa COVID-19 vaccine from a health division clinic oranother COVID-19 vaccine provider in Michigan, while supplies last. Those under age 18 are eligible to receive a gift card with the consent of their parent or legal guardian, according to a news release Wednesday.

"Vaccination remains the best tool to beat this pandemic, County Executive Dave Coulter said. We have made great strides in our efforts but there is still work to be done, and with more and more of our residents getting vaccinated, Im confident all of our summer plans will be back to normal very soon.

Residents who get vaccinated at a provider other than the health divisioncan get their gift card by completing a survey at OaklandCountyVaccine.com. Those who don't have internet access can contact theNurse on Call at 800-848-5533. Residents also canuse thoseresources to find a vaccination clinic.

The gift card will be mailed after the heath division verifies the person's vaccination status.

A stack of vaccination cards.(Photo: Kimberly P. Mitchell, Detroit Free Press)

The announcement came the same day that a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee metto review reports of heart complications among teens and young adults after they were immunized with either a Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

The CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices acknowledged there likely is an association between myocarditis inflammation of the heart muscle and pericarditis inflammation of thepericardium, the thin membrane around heart among 12- to 39-year-olds following vaccination.

Cases have been reported at a rate of 12.6 per million people within 21 days after a second dose of the vaccine, though some cases have also been reported after the first dose as well. The complication is more likely to occur in boys and young men, and the condition is most likely to appear within the first five days after vaccination.

Through June 11, 39.3 million mRNA vaccines were administered in the U.S. to 12- to 39-year-olds. There were 527 reports of myocarditis/pericarditis submitted to the federal Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) within seven days of receiving a second dose of a vaccine.

Still, the committee found that the risk of severe COVID-19 illness and hospitalization among unvaccinated adolescents and young adults was higher in every age group than the risk of myocarditis or pericarditis. And most people who developed the heart complication post-vaccination have made full recoveries.

Currently, the benefit still clearly outweighs the risks for COVID vaccinations in adolescents and young adults, said Dr. Sara Oliver, lead for the COVID-19 Vaccines ACIP Work Group.

Prepared COVID-19 vaccines(Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)

President Joe Biden is hoping for 70% of adult Americans to have had at least one dose of vaccine by July 4, but federal officials said Tuesday they may fall short of that goal.

Most COVID-19 restrictions in Michigan, including maskand gathering orders, were lifted Tuesday as cases and hospitalizations fall. Just over61%(more than 4.9 million) residents age 16 andolder have received at least one dose of vaccine, according to the state's COVID-19 vaccine dashboard.

More: Whitmer reopens state: 'Our pure Michigan summer is back'

More than 68% of Oakland County residents age 16 and older have received at least their first dose of vaccine. The county is shooting to reach the 70% mark by the Fourth of July.

Vaccination also helps slow the spread of COVID-19 virus variants circulating in our state, including the concerning Delta variant, said Dr. Russell Faust, Oakland County's medical director. I urge everyone age 12 and up who has not yet received their vaccine to get it as soon as possible so we keep the presence of COVID-19 in our communities low.

More: Michigan confirms 25 cases of COVID-19's highly contagious delta variant

More: Uncooperative Bay County hair stylist made tracking P.1 variant in Michigan even harder

Two cases of the delta variant have been identified in Oakland County. That is the strain that originated in India and is highly transmissible and may cause more serious infection.

As of Wednesday, 32 cases of the delta variant have been identified in sevenMichigan counties and the city of Detroit. Eleven of thecases were identified in out-of-state people who were tested in Michigan, said Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

In addition to Oakland County, the delta variant has been identified in seven cases in Wayne County, four each in Branch and St. Joseph countiesand one each in Lapeer, Livingston and Macomb counties as well as the city of Detroit, she said.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical adviser to Biden, said Tuesday that the delta variant is now doubling in prevalence every two weeks and accounts for 20.6% of sequenced cases nationally.

More: Whitmer: COVID-19 vaccine lottery isn't legal in Michigan

Oakland County joins the city of Detroit in offering an incentive to get a COVID-19 vaccine.Since May 3, the city of Detroit has offered a $50 pre-paid debit card to Good Neighbor drivers who pre-register to bring a Detroiter to his or her first-dose vaccination.

Good Neighbor driversget $50 per shot for each appointment, but are not paid for taking anyone under age 18. There is a limit of three residents per vehicle per appointment trip, according to the city's website.

Good Neighbors can make unlimited trips, but if they make more than $600 they will be required to complete a W-9 form and receive a 1099 from the city to file with their 2021 tax return, according to the website. It states theeffort is funded by a state grant for COVID-19 vaccine programs.

Many businesses in Michigan and nationally also are offering incentives to get more shots in arms as COVID-19 inoculations wane.

Other states are offering lotteries and other items, such as West Virginia giving away new custom-outfitted trucks, five custom hunting rifles and five custom hunting shotguns among other prizes to vaccinated residents age 18 and older.

Contact Christina Hall: chall@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter: @challeporter.

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Oakland County to give $50 gift card to those who get COVID-19 shot by July 4 - Detroit Free Press