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Hennepin County 'doubles down' on vaccine incentive program

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved an additional $250,000 to promote vaccine shots.

MINNEAPOLIS — Editor's note: The video above is from July 16, 2021.

Minnesota’s most populous county is boosting its incentive program for COVID-19 vaccine shots. 

The Hennepin County Board of Commissioners Tuesday unanimously approved an additional $250,000 to promote vaccine shots, on top of the original $100,000 that was allocated earlier from federal recovery funds.

Commissioner Chris LaTondresse says the program has increased the number of shots and Tuesday’s action “doubles down on this promising strategy” to help fight the coronavirus. 

The county used the original investment to buy 2,235 Visa gift cards worth $50 each. According to a press release from LaTondresse's office, the county has given out 775 gift cards so far this summer. 

The incentive program includes partnerships with community groups to host vaccine events and provide perks such as free meals, groceries and entertainment.

As of Sunday, the latest data available, the Minnesota Department of Health's vaccine data page shows that nearly 806,900 people in Hennepin County have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Most of that group – nearly 765,000 – are fully vaccinated against the virus. 

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