February 17, 2022
Philadelphia's COVID-19 vaccine requirement for indoor dining is no longer be in effect, but the city is pushing forward with a new incentive to encourage more residents to get vaccinated.
The Department of Public Health is offering $100 to residents who complete their initial COVID-19 vaccination series at certain city-run vaccine clinics by March 31. Two doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of Johnson & Johnson's vaccine is considered fully vaccinated.
The clinics offering the incentives will be listed on the department's Twitter account on the morning of the clinic. A complete, regularly-updated list of participating clinics can be found on the health department's website.
Up to 20,000 gift cards will be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis. The gift cards will not be distributed at the clinics; rather, recipients will register to receive them via email or mail.
Recipients who select to receive a virtual gift card will receive it in their inbox within two days from the email address akimbo_card@akimbocard.com. Those who choose to receive a physical gift card will get it in the mail in 10-14 days.
Residents who don't receive their gift cards within two weeks can email cs@akimbocard.com or call (855) 449-2273 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Only Philly residents are eligible to participate in the giveaway. City employees cannot receive the incentive. The program is funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Do you still need your second dose of COVID vaccine? Now’s the time!
— Philadelphia Public Health (@PHLPublicHealth) February 16, 2022
Get vaccinated at a participating Health Department clinic and receive $100!➡️ https://t.co/1mPQtN1aDC #VaxUpPhilly pic.twitter.com/dXpPGOA5yE
Anyone ages 5 and older is eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Those looking to schedule a vaccine appointment can do so at one of several city-run health clinics, or through the national database for vaccine appointments.
More than 80% of adults in Philadelphia are fully vaccinated and 90.2% of residents ages 12 and older have received at least one dose, according to the health department. More than 53% of children ages 5-11 have received at least one dose and 31% of adults have received a booster shot.
Last year, the city and the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania hosted Philly Vax Sweepstakes in which fully-vaccinated residents were given a chance to win prizes of $1,000, $5,000 and $50,000. The three drawings held last summer were specifically geared toward adults who lived in zip codes where COVID-19 vaccination rates were among the lowest.
However, a Penn study found that the program didn't lead to a meaningful increase in COVID-19 vaccinations in Philly.
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