During the height of the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, numerous businesses and organizations launched promotional campaigns to encourage immunization. These initiatives ranged from daily food items to large-scale lottery drawings, offering various incentives to individuals who received their shots. The offers detailed below were available to U.S. consumers who could provide proof of vaccination, though specific eligibility requirements and expiration dates varied by provider.
Food and Beverage Incentives
The most prominent category of incentives involved food and beverage companies offering free products to vaccinated individuals. These ranged from single-item giveaways to sweepstakes entries.
Daily and Limited-Time Food Offers
Krispy Kreme was one of the most widely publicized participants, offering a free glazed doughnut to anyone showing proof of vaccination. This promotion was valid for the remainder of 2021 at participating locations.
Panera Bread offered a free bagel per day to vaccinated customers between July 2 and July 4. This offer required in-person ordering at bakery-cafes and did not necessitate an additional purchase.
Chipotle provided a buy-one-get-one-free entree offer for vaccinated customers who visited after 3 p.m. on July 6. The chain had previously distributed 250,000 free burritos to healthcare workers as a pandemic thank-you.
Shake Shack offered a free burger voucher to individuals who received their vaccine on an NYC mobile vaccine bus, while supplies lasted.
White Castle distributed free dessert-on-a-stick items through May 31 to customers showing proof of vaccination. Options included Gooey Buttercake-on-a-Stick, Fudge Dipped Brownie-on-a-Stick, Fudge Dipped Cheesecake-on-a-Stick, and Birthday Cake-on-a-Stick.
Nathan’s Famous flagship location in Coney Island offered a free hot dog to anyone who presented proof of vaccination on the same day.
Alcohol and Beverage Promotions
Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland offered 10-cent beers to the first 2,021 adults who presented a completed vaccination card.
Budweiser offered a free beer on tap to vaccinated individuals through May 16, requiring registration for the promotion.
So Good So You, an organic juice shot brand, ran a "Get Your Shot, Get Our Shot Free" promotion, giving away coupons for free juice shots.
Retail and Service Incentives
Several retailers and service providers offered incentives beyond food items, including store credit, gift cards, and protective supplies for vaccination cards.
Store Credit and Gift Cards
Walgreens offered $25 in Walgreens Cash to customers who received their vaccine in-store. Those without a myWalgreens account received a $25 Walgreens gift card instead. This offer was valid through July 3.
Kroger provided employees with $100 in store credit in addition to a one-time $100 payment for taking the vaccine. The company also established a vaccine lottery offering five $1 million drawings for individuals vaccinated at Kroger or its family of stores.
The Vitamin Shoppe offered one free full-size healthy snack or drink product with proof of vaccination through May 31.
Card Protection Services
Staples, Office Depot, and Office Max offered free lamination of vaccine cards. However, archivists and conservators warned that laminating the original card could damage it and render it useless for future updates, recommending lamination of copies instead or the use of protective cases.
Entertainment and Travel Incentives
Entertainment venues, professional sports leagues, and transportation companies created various incentive programs.
Sports and Event Tickets
The NFL announced a giveaway for 50 Super Bowl tickets for vaccinated fans, along with a 25% discount at NFLShop.com. NASCAR offered Daytona 500 tickets, while Major League Soccer provided vaccinated fans with a 30% discount on merchandise and entry into a drawing for the 2021 MLS All-Star Game.
In New York, the Mets and Yankees offered tickets to upcoming games for individuals who got vaccinated at Citi Field or Yankee Stadium before a game. Participants received a voucher for that night's game or a future game if the current one was sold out.
The American Museum of Natural History in New York offered up to four free museum tickets to individuals who chose to get vaccinated under the museum's big blue whale exhibit.
Chagrin Cinemas in Cleveland provided free popcorn through the end of April to moviegoers with a vaccination card.
Transportation and Travel
Lyft and Uber offered free or discounted rides to unvaccinated individuals traveling to their vaccination appointments.
The White House partnered with organizations to offer free flights as an incentive for vaccination.
Cannabis and Health Product Incentives
Unique incentives were also offered in the cannabis and health sectors.
The Greenhouse of Walled Lake, a marijuana dispensary in Michigan, offered a free pre-rolled joint to anyone over age 21 with proof of vaccination. The "Pot for Shots" promotion was described as a thank-you for helping end the pandemic.
Employer-Sponsored Incentives
Many employers offered financial incentives to encourage vaccination among their workforce. Companies such as AT&T, Instacart, Target, Trader Joe's, Chobani, Petco, Darden Restaurants, McDonald's, and Dollar General provided time off or extra money for vaccination. Grocery chains including Trader Joe's, Aldi, and Lidl, along with retailers like Olive Garden and McDonald's, offered similar benefits.
State and Local Government Incentives
Several states and municipalities implemented their own incentive programs, including cash payments and lottery drawings.
Ohio’s Vax-a-Million campaign allowed vaccinated adults to enter drawings for one of five $1 million awards. Residents between 12 and 17 years old could enter for one of five four-year scholarships to an Ohio state school, including room and board, tuition, and books. An Associated Press analysis indicated that vaccinations in the state increased 33 percent after the vaccine lottery was announced.
West Virginia announced plans to give young people $100 bonds for vaccination. Detroit distributed $50 prepaid cards to anyone who drove someone else to a vaccine site.
Eligibility and Redemption Requirements
Most incentives required individuals to show proof of vaccination in person. Online orders or deliveries were generally not eligible for these offers. Specific requirements varied, with some promotions requiring same-day proof of vaccination, while others accepted proof of prior vaccination.
The offers detailed above represent a snapshot of the incentives available during the specified time period. Consumers were advised to check individual company websites for current terms, availability, and expiration dates.
Conclusion
The COVID-19 vaccination campaign prompted a wide array of business and government incentives designed to encourage immunization. These programs spanned multiple sectors, including food service, retail, entertainment, and healthcare, offering consumers various forms of value in exchange for proof of vaccination. While many of these specific promotions were time-limited, they demonstrated a broad-based effort to support public health initiatives during the pandemic.