As vaccination efforts approach an expected tipping point, at which the amount of available vaccine exceeds the number of willing recipients, with the rate of vaccination far below the threshold required for herd immunity, paying people to take their shots likely offers our society’s best chance at stemming the pandemic.
When I received my first dose of Pfizerâs COVID-19 vaccine last December, nobody paid me to roll up my sleeve. Yet, as vaccination efforts approach an expected tipping point, at which the amount of available vaccine exceeds the number of willing recipients, with the rate of vaccination far below the threshold required for herd immunity, paying people to take their shots likely offers our societyâs best chance at stemming the pandemic.
Private employers â including American Airlines, Marriott and Dollar General, have already taken the lead in this regard â but payouts are generally low: an extra day off or a few hours pay. The sooner the government starts offering larger cash incentives to the public the safer all of us will be; former Maryland Congressman John Delaney has proposed $1,500.
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Rep. Tim Ryan Announces Run for Ohio Senate Seat
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio), a 10-term representative in Congress since 2003 and a former Democratic presidential contender, announced his run for the U.S. Senate on Monday morning.
“I’m running for Senate because Ohioans are working harder than ever, they’re doing everything right, and they still can’t get ahead,” Ryan wrote on Twitter. “It’s time to hit the reset button.”
Ryan is running for the seat to be vacated by Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who announced on Jan. 25 that he wouldn’t seek his third-term reelection in 2022.
Originally from Ohio’s blue-collar Mahoning Valley, Ryan stressed his focus on workers and jobs, in the video accompanying his announcement.