Free beer, Ubers and a $1million lottery? Covid commander reveals the incentives he's willing to offer 'hesitant' Australians to get them jabbed
- Vaccine program chief said he is considering incentives for Aussies to get a jab
- Nation's rollout has stalled with less than 10 per cent of people fully vaccinated
- Lt General Frewan said supply of Covid vaccines not an issue but motivation is
Australians could be offered lottery tickets, prizes and gifts to get a Covid jab in an effort to speed up the nation's stalling vaccine rollout.
The man in charge of getting the rollout back on track, Lt General John Frewan, said he was in discussions with businesses about incentives that could increase those 'less immediately motivated' to get a vaccine.
'There's been good examples overseas, there's been lotteries … even just practical inducements like offering people Ubers, all of that stuff is on the table right now,' Lt Gen Frewan told The Daily Telegraph.
Overseas incentives such as cash, lottery tickets and free beer have been announced to encourage people to get a Covid vaccine (stock image)
Australians who get a Covid vaccine could be offered gifts under an incentive scheme to increase uptake (pictured: nurse John Maya administers a vaccine in Sydney on Thursday)
In the United States UCLA survey of 75,000 people showed one in three would be more likely to get a vaccine if a $100 gift was included.
The State of West Virginia did just that and offered $100 government bonds to those aged 16-35 who got a vaccine and even went one step further - announcing a $1.5million lottery for vaccinated locals.
Such schemes have become common in the US with other incentives including vaccination badges on dating apps such as Tinder and Bumble and tax incentives.
Private businesses are also getting in on the action with breweries in the US offering 'shots and a chaser' and major beer company Anheuser Busch also announcing free beer.
Krispy Kreme said they would give out out free donuts to those getting a jab and Amazon offered their employees cash to get a shot.
In Australia, businesses are already thinking about how they could reward those who roll up their sleeve - particularly airlines with Virgin Australia announcing a competition later this year and Qantas considering free airfares and frequent flyer points.
Lt General Frewan said a large number of Australians were prepared to get vaccinated though many do not consider getting the jab urgent.
Kelly Nankivell (pictured) registers to receive her first Pfizer vaccination at the Inner City Covid-19 Vaccine Hub in Sydney on Thursday
He said he would be studying vaccination rates for drop-offs where incentives might be able to boost numbers back up.
Supply is less of an issue than motivation with Australia having enough doses to give the entire population the jab by the end of 2021, Lt Gen Frewan said.
'I'm less concerned about [supply] right now. I would like to help us build … more convenience into the ways people can get vaccinated.'
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Lt General Frewan has been the Principal Deputy Director of the Australia Signals Directorate since 2018 and has been overseeing the vaccine rollout for less than a month.
He has already been working with state and territory governments to increase the number of vaccine hubs and will meet with major business leaders next week to discuss how existing workplace flu jab programs could be adapted for Covid.
People flocked to the NSW vaccination centre in Homebush, Sydney on Friday (pictured) amid a recent outbreak in the city
He has also been eyeing chemists as central players in increasing vaccine uptake in the initial rollout and onwards.
'I think pharmacies will have a really central role.'
He revealed Australia's abundant supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine was being used to help Pacific nations such as PNG and Fiji.
In the three days since Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced under 40s could access the AZ option, Lt Gen Frewan said 2,616 young Aussies had taken up the offer.
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