Birmingham City Council To Hear $13 Million Vaccine Sweepstakes Proposal Tuesday
Birmingham City Council President William Parker will present a $13 million package of incentives, including million-dollar drawings, to encourage residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The plan, to be presented to the city council Tuesday, calls for $500 gift cards, savings bonds, college scholarships and two drawings for up to $1 million.
“Obviously we know there are a lot of different factors for why some people are hesitant to receive a vaccine,” Parker said in a statement announcing the proposal. “As elected leaders here, we must do everything possible to not only make the vaccine accessible, but also encourage its use. This is a bold strategy that we think will drastically increase the number of residents wanting to receive a vaccine.”
For months, Parker encouraged residents to get vaccinated through numerous Facebook Live Town Halls with health experts on the benefits of a vaccination. However, only 36% of Birmingham citizens have received at least their first dose.
The sweepstakes would be funded through money Birmingham received from the American Rescue Plan Act. However, some people said it won’t matter how much money is on the table.
“It’s a hard ‘no’ for me, because I’m not going to be bribed to take something that should be good for me,” Tremon Muhammed said.
Others said they’d only take the top prize.
“My life is not worth less than that,” Ira Smith said. “Why would I take something that only guarantees me a $500? I make more than that a week.”
If Muhammad and Smith reflect the greater Birmingham community, Parker’s lottery plans won’t make much of a difference. But in Ohio, the Vax-A-Million campaign has had a different reaction. The weekend after announcing their lottery, vaccinations in the state increased by 28%.
Parker says his goal is to have at least 175,000 Birmingham residents vaccinated.
Mideast clashes breach Olympic truce as athletes gather for Winter Paralympic Games
Fighting intensified in the Middle East during the Olympic truce, in effect through March 15. Flights are being disrupted as athletes and families converge on Italy for the Winter Paralympics.
A U.S. scholarship thrills a teacher in India. Then came the soul-crushing questions
She was thrilled to become the first teacher from a government-sponsored school in India to get a Fulbright exchange award to learn from U.S. schools. People asked two questions that clouded her joy.
Sunday Puzzle: Sandwiched
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle with WXXI listener Jonathan Black and Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz.
U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran continue into 2nd day, as the region faces turmoil
Israel said on Sunday it had launched more attacks on Iran, while the Iranian government continued strikes on Israel and on U.S. targets in Gulf states, Iraq and Jordan.
Trump warns Iran not to retaliate after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed
The Iranian government has announced 40 days of mourning. The country's supreme leader was killed following an attack launched by the U.S. and Israel on Saturday against Iran.
Iran fires missiles at Israel and Gulf states after U.S.-Israeli strike kills Khamenei
Iran fired missiles at targets in Israel and Gulf Arab states Sunday after vowing massive retaliation for the killing of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei by the United States and Israel.
