Alberta’s vaccine lottery had little effect on boosting vaccination rates, doctors say – CBC

Vaccine passports, mandates more effective than lotteries or $100 gift card, says doctor

Sep 07, 2021

Doctors say vaccine incentives like Alberta’s “Open for Summer” lottery and the recently announced $100 gift cards for people who get their first and second doses aren’t enough to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates in the province.

As of Monday, Alberta has the lowest percentage of eligible people with a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in the country, according to CBC’s vaccine tracker.

Physicians in the province say a vaccine passport or stronger restrictions on access to public spaces for those not vaccinated is needed to boost vaccine rates in the province — not more incentives.

“The lottery really didn’t have a particularly significant effect. And so I’m not sure that an individual incentive will make a huge difference, either,” said Dr. Stephanie Smith, an infectious diseases specialist at the University of Alberta Hospital.

Alberta’s vaccine lottery had little effect on boosting vaccination rates, doctors say – CBC

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