Tennessee Won't Incentivize COVID Shots but Pays to Vax Cows medscape.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from medscape.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Tennessee won t incentivize COVID shots but pays to vax cows
TRAVIS LOLLER, Associated Press
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1of6This photo provided by the State of Tennessee shows Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee receiving an award from Dustin Pearson, Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association President-Elect at the Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association annual convention on July 30, 2021 in Sevierville, Tenn. Despite having some of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country, Tennessee isn’t planning to offer any incentives for people to get the shot. But it’s a different story when it comes to cattle, where the state has reimbursed farmers nearly half a million dollars over the past two years to vaccinate their herds against respiratory and other diseases. At right is Jay Yeargin, Tennessee Cattlemen’s Association President. (State of Tennessee via AP)APShow MoreShow Less
Tennessee Isn't Giving People Money to Get a COVID Shot, But It Does Pay to Vaccinate Cows – NBC Los Angeles nbclosangeles.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from nbclosangeles.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Lee, who so far has avoided drawing a serious Republican primary challenge in his 2022 reelection bid, has been accused of complacency in the face of the deadly pandemic. Tennessee s vaccination rates for COVID-19 hover at 39% of its total population, versus over 49% nationally for the fully vaccinated. The state s COVID hospitalizations have more than tripled over the past three weeks and infections have increased more than five-fold.
Speaking at the Tennessee Cattlemen s Association annual conference on Friday, Lee said he did not think incentives were very effective, WBIR-TV reported. “I don’t think that’s the role of government, he added. The role of government is to make it available and then to encourage folks to get a vaccine.”
Travis Loller
FILE - In this Jan. 19, 2021, file photo, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee answers questions after he spoke to a joint session of the legislature at the start of a special session on education in Nashville, Tenn. Despite having some of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country, Tennessee isn t planning to offer any incentives for people to get the shot. But it s a different story when it comes to cattle, where the state has reimbursed farmers nearly half a million dollars over the past two years to vaccinate their herds against respiratory and other diseases. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)