Why vaccine incentives may not be as effective as states hope

While free beer, baseball tickets and other incentives may help states increase vaccination rates, health experts say they won't produce a jump in numbers.

With vaccination numbers declining across the country, leaders in various states are scrambling to put a stick and carrot in front of the millions of residents who have yet to get the shots. From free beers and baseball tickets to a raffle for a car and even cash, governors and city leaders are attempting to encourage those on the fence to roll up their sleeves. But so far, states have not seen upticks in their vaccine administrations, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health experts told ABC News that such incentives rarely make a large, lasting impact on healthy behaviors or public health initiatives. Emily A. Largent, an assistant professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, said Americans who are holding out on getting a vaccine are ones who have misgivings behind the science, are misinformed or have other personal reasons.