Slovakia Govt Offers Rs 25,000 To Citizens Over 60 To Get COVID Shots

The government of Slovakia will be handing out cash to its citizens above the age of 60 for getting vaccinated against the novel coronavirus or have their COVID booster shot, with the goal to spur inoculation rates lagging others in the European Union (EU).

The parliament passed the payments on December 9, giving the nod to a suggestion by the government which had at first thought of handing out vouchers for restaurants or hotels but decided instead on payouts, as per a Newsbreak report.

People who will be receiving their COVID booster shots by mid-January will be receiving 300 euros (Rs 25,665.90). Furthermore, over-60 individuals who sign up to get their COVID shots by that time are also entitled to 200 euros (Rs 17,109.18).

Get Vaccinated And Get Paid

Slovakia has a total population of approximately 5.5 million and has been massively hit by the latest COVID wave, which then forced the country to revert back to lockdown measures.

Furthermore, the country still remains well behind other EU nations in vaccinating its population, with nearly 68% of its citizens over 60 age fully vaccinated - the third-lowest after Bulgaria and Romania.

Among the total population in Slovakia, only 46.5% are fully vaccinated against the novel virus, which is well below the EU average of 66.8%, as per the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). As a result, the government has been discussing making vaccines for older citizens mandatory but are yet to find an agreement.

As of December 8, it had the second-highest infection rate in the world over the past week, as per the Our World in Data. The statistics also showed that it is reporting 8,478 new infections every day on average.

Innovations Taken By Other Countries

Slovakia is not the first nation to offer lucrative incentives to get its citizens vaccinated against COVID-19. Back in October, the Switzerland government had offered its people who managed to pursue their friends to get their vaccine shots free cinema outings or restaurant meals.

In August, the city of Houston in the US had announced that it would pay $100 to anyone receiving their first shot of a COVID vaccine. Meanwhile, in India, numerous state governments had suggested that only fully vaccinated individuals should be allowed to use public facilities such as public transport, hotels, shopping complexes and malls, auditorium and cinemas, libraries, swimming pools, factories and etc.

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