The White House hopes it's a deal that Americans can't refuse -- $20 in the form of a discount on store purchases for getting the new bivalent COVID-19 booster. Officials are counting on this "incentive" to boost the number of Americans getting the updated COVID vaccine
Folks who get the Omicron-specific shot at CVS, Safeway, Winn-Dixie, or Rite Aid will get up to $20 off their purchases this winter.
The offer comes amid soaring inflation that has driven up the price of household staples. A recent survey found that Thanksgiving dinner this year will cost a whopping 20% more than last year.
The new booster incentive comes ahead of a potential spike in Covid cases and hospitalizations this winter which could put pressure on already-overstretched hospitals.
Healthcare workers are already dealing with what's being called the worst flu outbreak in the U.S. in a decade, and high hospital admissions caused by the common cold virus RSV — with both surges blamed on lockdowns suppressing people's immunity to seasonal bugs.
The rollout of the new COVID booster has been less than successful so far with officials saying just over 11% of eligible Americans have rolled up their sleeves for the shot.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends all Americans aged five years old and up get the bivalent booster.
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