The City Administrator’s Office has released a statement announcing that the Vax Up Augusta! Program, administered by the Richmond County Department of Public Health (RCDPH) has successfully given out all 3,300 gift card incentives and that the program has exceeded expectations.
While all of the incentive cards have been given out by the RCDPH, a limited number may still beavailable through partnering agencies Christ Community Health, Medical Associates Plus and Nightingale Infusion and Pharmacy.
MORE: Vax Up Augusta! clinic held over weekend at Augusta Mall
Christ Community Health only provides the Moderna vaccine for individuals 18 years of age and up.
According to City Administrator Odie Donald, people should look for incentive updates on the city’s website.
“Staff will be updating the website and notifying all outlets on the remaining sites where citizens may receive the incentives until they are exhausted,” Donald wrote in an email.
[adrotate banner=”55″]
The program’s goal was to increase the vaccination rate in Richmond County by 10,000 people and, according to Donald, the goal has been exceeded.
Donald says he will give the Augusta Commission a tentative update on Dec. 7, the last commission meeting of the year; however more accurate figures won’t be released until Dec. 10.
The program got off to a rocky start when it began Sep. 8. Originally, the program only offered the $100 incentives to people who received both shots and were fully vaccinated. Due to the relatively low initial turnout, the program was changed to allow an incentive for each shot, but not boosters.
Questions were also raised over the fact that, early in the program, vaccination figures as well as expenditures released by the Richmond County Department of Public Health did not correspond to numbers released from the City Administrator’s office.
MORE: Vax Up Augusta! Program Lacks Accountability
In a letter, health department District Health Director Dr. Lee Merchin clarified the discrepancies.
“The department is responsible for the accounting, management, issuance and safekeeping of those gift cards. Four other organizations are also offering the vaccination incentives. Each of those organizations, not the Richmond County Health Department, is responsible for managing the gift cards they purchased with funding from the Unified Government of Augusta,” Merchin wrote.
Merchin also corrected an earlier report published by The Augusta Press that stated the funding for the program was through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES) when it is actually being funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA).
[adrotate banner=”15″]
Funding from ARPA comes with far fewer restrictions on how the federal funds are spent and works like any other federal grant as opposed to CARES, which limits the amount and types of administrative expenses.
The press release from the City Administrator’s Office did not indicate whether Donald will seek to continue the program and purchase more incentive cards or if the 3,300 incentive cards distributed will be the cap on the program.
District 10 Commissioner John Clarke, who has attended many of the city’s vaccination drives, says he is pleased to learn that the program has exceeded its vaccination goals. Clarke says he reluctantly voted for the program despite his belief that the city should not have to pay people to take a vaccine that could potentially save their life and says he is wary about the possibility of extending the program.
“Before taking any further steps, I want to see the actual hard numbers presented,” Clarke said.
Scott Hudson is the Senior Reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at scott@theaugustapress.com
