A Maryland Democrat wants to give a $1,500 “stimulus” check to any American who agrees to take the coronavirus vaccine, a report says.
Democrat John Delaney, a former Maryland Congressman who was a long, long, long shot candidate for the Democrat nomination for president this year thinks he has the fastest way to cajole people into taking the vaccine: pay them to do it.
The loser Democrat claims he is worried that too many people will refuse to take a vaccine for the virus, but he thinks more will do it if there is a big payday included with the shot.
“The faster we get 75 percent of this country vaccinated, the faster we end Covid and the sooner everything returns to normal,” Delaney told CNBC.com.
Delaney said he has been disappointed to find that taking the vaccine has become a political issue and he hopes his idea could blunt that problem.
He might want to fault Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for this issue, though. They are the ones pushing the idea that a vaccine released during Trump’s presidency is automatically dangerous.
Delaney, though, insists there is a way to alter perceptions by throwing cash at it.
“We have to create, in my judgment, an incentive for people to really accelerate their thinking about taking the vaccine,” he said.
“If you’re still afraid of the vaccine and don’t want to take it, that’s your right,” Delaney added. “You won’t participate in this program.
“But guess what?” he said. “You’re going to benefit anyhow, because we’ll get the country to herd immunity faster, which benefits you. So, I think everyone wins.”
To avoid other accusations, Delaney said that the patient would be given a serial number to enter into a computer to prove he got the vaccine. That idea is in place of trackers implanted in the patient, or special cards issued.
He also said the idea isn’t exactly new because people are often paid to take vaccines in third world nations where doctors are often mistrusted.
Delaney estimated that the program would cost close to $400 billion.
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