New Mexico to pay another round of $100 incentives for COVID-19 vaccinations in August
Algernon D'AmmassaDEMING – After new cases of COVID-19 disease in New Mexico quadrupled during July, the state health department is offering another round of $100 incentives in a bid to get more residents vaccinated.
Beginning Monday and through August, New Mexicans can claim a $100 payment for getting their first or second dose of Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech's vaccine, or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
New Mexico initiated a similar program — funded with federal dollars — in June. The department said it led to a 26 percent boost in completed vaccinations, and a 333 percent jump in single shots.
The incentives helped push statewide vaccination rates toward a 60 percent goal for complete vaccinations, that was a benchmark for reopening New Mexico on July 1, just as cases began an upward turn.
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New Mexico is also in the midst of a "Vax 2 the Max" sweepstakes offering $10 million in cash prizes for vaccinated residents.
On Thursday, President Joe Biden called on other states, territories and local governments to sponsor similar efforts with American Rescue Plan funds, as cases increase nationwide, attributed to the highly contagious delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.
"You want to know how we put this virus behind us?" Biden asked during remarks at the White House. "I will tell you how: We need to get more people vaccinated."
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New Mexicans can register for the vaccines, which are provided free of charge, online at www.VaccineNM.org or by telephone at 855-600-3453.
They are not required to schedule appointments through the website, and can receive their vaccination from any licensed provider in the state. The $100 payments will be processed after the provider submits required information about the vaccinations to the state's immunization information system, the department said.
It also advised that the fastest way for payments to be processed is via email or text message, though payments will also be processed via home addresses. All three pieces of information are sought in the registration process.
For those under age 18, payments will be disbursed to their parent or guardian.
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Algernon D'Ammassa can be reached at 575-541-5451, adammassa@lcsun-news.com or @AlgernonWrites on Twitter.