Arkansas vaccine incentives not working: Health officials

Arkansas' attempt to get its lagging vaccination numbers up through a million dollar incentive program has failed to deliver real results.

Arkansas's million-dollar stick and carrot has failed to pick up its lagging COVID-19 numbers, according to recent health data. Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson took a page from other states, such as Ohio and New York, and introduced a vaccine incentive program for residents who are eligible for their shots on May 25. The million-dollar program gave out an Arkansas Lottery Scholarship $20 scratch-off ticket or a $20 gift certificate for the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission for new first doses. At the time of the announcement, the state's seven-day average of new vaccine doses administered was around 8,300, a far cry from its peak of 22,000 in early April, according to the state Health Department data. Since then, the numbers have decreased and leveled out and as of June 28, the seven-day average is 4,833, the data showed. "I don't know if we're going to be able to buy our way out of this," Col. Robert Ator, the program director of the Arkansas vaccine incentive program told ABC affiliate KATV.