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SAINT ANTHONY – EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story said that Mayor Ron Nirenberg “abstained” from voting. He “recused himself” from the article, which is now reflected in the text below.
The city of San Antonio will soon be offering $ 100 HEB gift cards to residents newly vaccinated against COVID-19.
City council voted 9-1 Thursday morning to approve $ 1 million in federal grants to be spent on up to 10,000 gift cards that will be given to people who complete their rounds of immunization at Metro Health immunization sites. While he did not give an exact date for the cards’ availability, San Antonio Metropolitan Health Director Claude Jacob said they hoped to roll them out by the end of the month.
Mayor Ron Nirenberg, whose wife works for HEB, recused himself and District 8 city councilor Manny Pelaez voted against.
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The cards will only be issued to people who received their first injection after July 31, which Jacob told council members was based on what the “funder” – the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention – would allow. .
This means that those who were partially or fully vaccinated before July 31 are not eligible to get the gift cards.
District 7 City Councilor Ana Sandoval acknowledged that there might be some previously vaccinated people who might not be happy with the city’s use of the incentives now.
“I want, at least, from this video screen, to thank all these people who voluntarily went out to be vaccinated, who took time in their schedule. You have done what it takes to protect your health, the health of your family and the health of the community, ”said Sandoval. “We are doing this to try to keep the community safe, because once those 10,000 people are vaccinated our community will be much safer. “
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Pelaez was the only one to oppose the measure, citing an article he had read on medical ethics that argued, in part, that paying people to get vaccinated “is more manipulative now than it is. would be otherwise ”, given the economic effects of the pandemic. had on Americans.
“I feel like it smacks of paternalism, and it treats adults like children,” Pelaez told fellow council members. “I think it’ll also reinforce in their minds that there’s a risk – ‘Well they’re paying me to do this, whereas if it wasn’t risky they wouldn’t pay me.’“
Asked by KSAT after the meeting about ethical concerns, Jacob said “Ultimately we understand this is an ethical conundrum, but it is really meant for those who choose to be vaccinated. It is an incentive, an opportunity to push them at least over the fence if they think about it if they wonder about the interest of being vaccinated.
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Although gift cards are not yet available, Jacob said the city is not recommending anyone delay vaccination in the hope of getting one.
“This variation punishes procrastinators,” Jacob said.
Bexar County vaccination statistics are expected to be updated later Thursday evening, but Jacob told reporters he believes current vaccination rates stand at over 70% of the eligible population fully vaccinated and 86.5% received at least one dose.
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