Oakland County Offering $50 Gift Card to Incentivize Vaccinations
(Oakland County Health Division, June 23, 2021)
Pontiac, MI – Oakland County Health Division is introducing a $50 gift card incentive* to any Oakland County resident receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine from June 24 until July 4. Oakland County is on the cusp of reaching the goal of vaccinating 70 percent of residents 16 and older by July 4. Over 68 percent of Oakland County residents 16 and older have received at least their first dose.
“Vaccination remains the best tool to beat this pandemic,” Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter said. “We have made great strides in our efforts but there is still work to be done and with more and more of our residents getting vaccinated, I’m confident all of our summer plans will be back to normal very soon.”
The target age group for this push to reach the 70 percent goal is young adults and teens. Seventy-two percent of Oakland County residents 30 and older have received at least their first dose. Only 54 percent of Oakland County residents ages 16-29 years old have had their first dose.

Oakland County residents can visit any Oakland County Health Division vaccine clinic or any other COVID-19 vaccine provider in Michigan to qualify for the incentive while supplies last. The Health Division is also holding daily vaccine clinics from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at both its North Oakland Health Center in Pontiac and South Oakland Health Center in Southfield. Explore OaklandCountyVaccine.com to locate a Health Division vaccine clinic. Those who do not have access to the Internet may call the Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. for more information
Oakland County residents who receive their first dose from June 24 to July 4 at a provider other than Oakland County Health Division may claim the incentive by:
~Visiting OaklandCountyVaccine.com to complete a survey. The gift card will be mailed after the Health Division has verified vaccination status.
~Individuals who do not have access to the Internet, may call the Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533 to claim their gift card.
Use the State of Michigan’s COVID-19 vaccine finder to locate a convenient provider.

“Vaccination also helps slow the spread of COVID-19 virus variants circulating in our state, including the concerning Delta variant,” said Dr. Russell Faust, Medical Director for Oakland County.  “I urge everyone age 12 and up who has not yet received their vaccine to get it as soon as possible so we keep the presence of COVID-19 in our communities low.”
Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) marked the Delta variant as a “variant of concern” for being significantly more transmissible and causing more severe disease. CDC estimates that it may be responsible for nearly 10% of all new COVID-19 infections in the United States. Current data suggest that COVID-19 vaccines authorized for use in the United States offer protection against most variants currently spreading. However, some variants might cause illness in some people even after they are fully vaccinated.  CDC continues to monitor how vaccines are working in real-world conditions.

The following is an update on progress vaccinating Oakland County residents, according to the State of Michigan COVID-19 Vaccine Dashboard as of June 22, 2021:

• Total eligible residents 16 and older: 1,029,737
  • Number of residents 16 and older who have received first dose: 701,444
  • Number of residents 16 and older who have completed vaccination: 644,275
  • Vaccine coverage for residents 16 and older: 68.1%

• Total eligible residents 12 and older: 1,091,389
  • Number of residents 12 and older who have received first dose: 725,591
  • Number of residents 12 years and older who have completed vaccination: 661,950
  • Vaccine coverage for residents 12 and older: 66.5%

• Total eligible senior residents 65 and older: 217,676
  • Number of senior residents who have received first dose: 182,021
  • Number of senior residents who have completed vaccination: 173,454
  • Vaccine coverage for senior residents: 83.6%

• Total doses distributed within Oakland County: 1,321,255
  • Total doses administered within Oakland County: 1,345,200
  • Percentage of doses administered within Oakland County: N/A

*Legal notice for gift card incentive: This incentive will be offered until July 4, 2021, or until all gift cards have been distributed, whichever comes first. Persons under 18 are eligible to receive a vaccine and a gift card with the consent of their parent or legal guardian. This is not a lottery, and the COVID-19 vaccine is provided free of charge. No person will be asked to pay any money in exchange for the COVID-19 vaccine or the $50 gift card. There is no element of chance involved in this incentive.