Bucks offered the first 200 students to get the COVID vaccine shot at any of their three campuses a $100 gift card from Aug. 30 to Sept. 10.
According to Bucks, they are offering free vaccinations with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as well as the Pfizer BioNTech.
Bucks encouraged both walk-ins and appointments for this event. Additionally, you do not have to be associated with Bucks to go to their vaccine clinics.
Bucks does require everyone to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status. They are still following the recommended social distancing requirements as well.
Bucks wants to ensure people’s safety and recommend that people stay at least 3 feet apart from one another. They also have plastic barriers for when social distancing cannot be obeyed.
They will be offering both vaccines to their students until Oct. 28. However, there will be no reward for students getting vaccinated after Sept. 10.
The $100 gift card that was meant to be an incentive to students may not have been as effective as hoped. Bucks was offering the incentive to the first 200 students that got vaccinated from Aug. 30 to Sept. 3 but extended it to Sept. 10.
Some students said they opposed vaccine mandates, even though the college was not mandating that students be vaccinated.
Jake Swieringa, 20, from Doylestown and majoring in Communications stated, “offering the vaccine is okay, but requiring it is not right.”
Another student, Tory Bowling. majoring in Television/Film, had a similar response stating, “They should offer it at colleges, but should not force kids to get it.”
Some believe it is a great idea for colleges to reward students and encourage them to get vaccinated, while others view it as bribing students to get their COVID shots.
Amber Simon, a psychology major here at Bucks, stated “I would not get the vaccine if there were incentives. I would get the vaccine for my safety, not for some gift card.”
Sweiringa supported the incentives by saying, “I would encourage others to get it because money is money.”
This incentive not only drove this student to get vaccinated, but he is encouraging his friends to get their shots and claim the reward.
Mandi Gallina, a 20 year old community member, spoke of a similar situation.
“My work offered me $100 to get it, so I got my shot. The incentive encouraged me because I’m broke, but it probably will not encourage or make a difference for kids that have money.”
For students that do want to get vaccinated and receive the incentive, it is important to bring their student ID and vaccination card to either the Newtown, Upper Bucks, or Lower Bucks campuses.