University of Idaho clarified eligibility for vaccine incentives in an email sent out by Dean of Students and Vice Provost for Student Affairs Blaine Eckles. These incentives include $50 gift cards and entrance into a scholarship raffle for students who share proof of full vaccination.
The $50 gift cards are for all students who share proof of vaccination and be used for on campus food through Idaho Eats or for the VandalStore. Students will also be entered into a drawing for 10 $1,000 scholarships and two $5,000 scholarships.
Proof of vaccination can be submitted online by providing a digital copy of the vaccine card.
These incentives follow concerns of rising case numbers, particularly among the unvaccinated. The email cites Gov. Brad Little’s Aug. 12 conference, stating since Jan. 1 in Idaho, 98.9% of new COVID-19 cases were unvaccinated. Latah county’s case number is 170 as of Aug. 18 according to Public Health – Idaho North Central District
“With low vaccination rates and the highly contagious Delta variant circulating in Idaho communities — which is twice as contagious as the original strain — projections indicate case counts could continue to increase through the fall and exceed last year’s peak for daily case counts in as soon as two months,” Eckles stated in the email.
As of Aug. 18, 44.5% of Latah’s population is vaccinated according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the email, vaccine incentives are intended to help the university remain open and in-person, as vaccines cannot be required due to Little’s executive order.
Vaccination clinics will be hosted by the university Aug. 20, 25 and 26 as well as Sept. 9 in partnership with RiteAid. Students can register online. Walk-ins the day of are also accepted.
The gift cards and scholarships will be rewarded in two rounds, the first two weeks of September and the end of October. Students may only receive a gift card and a drawing prize once.
Haadiya Tariq can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @haadiyatariq