CNN’s Harry Enten Reports That Incentive Programs Like Ohio’s Lottery Are Helping Increase Vaccination Rates

CNN Senior Political Analyst Harry Enten reported on Thursday that the unique incentive programs some local governments were offering for those who got a Covid-19 vaccine, like free beer or Ohio’s lottery, did show signs of helping improve vaccination rates.

Enten made his report on Cuomo Prime Time, telling host Chris Cuomo, “We are seeing increases in Ohio, it is true.” Enten explained the Ohio vaccine lottery, where Ohioans who got the vaccine were entered into a drawing to win a million dollars.

“Look at this. A weekend to weekend change, up 28% compared to the prior weekend. Now look at what happened. What we were seeing was decreasing vaccination rates in Ohio, so it was down 25% the weekend before. But all of a sudden we saw this increase.”

Enten explained that he had compared the Ohio data to the nationwide data, “and you don’t see that same type of increase,” so the state’s lottery “seems to have worked, at least in the state of Ohio.”

“It’s not just money,” said Cuomo. “Some states are using unconventional incentives. What are we seeing about what they’re using and what’s working?”

Western New York was offering free beer, Enten replied, “and that seemed to actually work in Buffalo.”

Polling revealed other promising ideas, Enten said, such as offering a payment for getting vaccinated, which polled well with Democrats, and eliminating requirements to wear face masks, which polled well with Republicans.

“I think what we really should be doing is putting all hands on deck, right?” said Enten. “Whether it be a lottery, whether it’s savings bonds that they’re doing in West Virginia, whether it’s free beer and wine that they’re doing in New Jersey. All these different ideas, right, Chris, we have to use untraditional sort of things in order to get perhaps some people who might not otherwise be willing to get vaccinated, actually get them to do it. If they haven’t done it so far, then whatever we have been doing simply hasn’t been working.”

Another big issue, Enten added, was that “working class folks” had concerns about needing time to get the vaccine and possibly sick time off if they experienced some of the common side effects, which were temporary but could include fatigue, fever, and other symptoms that made working difficult.

“What we also need to keep in mind is we really do need to make it as easy as possible for people to get vaccinated,” he said. “If we don’t, they may not get it. I think there are a lot of folks that want to get vaccinated but for whatever reason they can’t get the time off from work or it’s not convenient for them to get the vaccine.”

Polling also showed that vaccination rates were lower among those in lower socioeconomic groups and minorities. “So it seems to me that there does seem to be some inequity going on in the vaccine distribution because there are a lot of people in the communities of color as well as those in those lower income brackets who simply wanting the vaccine but haven’t been able to get it,” Enten concluded. “We need to make it much easier for folks to get it…People who say they haven’t gotten it but might be vaccine hesitant, the way you get them to get it is simply by making it as easy as possible for them to get the vaccine.”

“Money doesn’t hurt,” said Cuomo.

“Money never hurts,” Enten replied.

Watch the video above, via CNN.