Free AirPods are being used as an incentive to get teens vaccinated in the nation's capital

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) knows how to get kids 12-17 years old vaccinated against COVID-19. Just offer them freebies as an incentive and the kids will keep bugging their parents to accompany them as required. In a tweet she posted yesterday (via The Hill), the Mayor of the nation's capital listed three Middle Schools in the District where this program will be available.

With their first shot, the kids will receive a free pair of Apple AirPods (while supplies last) or a $51 gift card. The kids will also be entered into a contest to win a $25,000 scholarship or an iPad with headphones. Data from Johns Hopkins University shows that 70% of those living in Washington D.C. have been fully vaccinated although the number of those infected in the District is on the rise and the Mayor has called for the return of an indoor mask mandate.

Washington D.C. isn't the only place in the U.S. where incentives have been used to get more people vaccinated against the virus. In June, West Virginia Governor Jim Justice (R) announced that the state would give away cash, trucks, and firearms to those who agreed to get jabbed. Cash was also used as an incentive in other states including Maryland, Michigan, and Ohio.