While many Massachusetts residents need no encouragement to get vaccinated for COVID-19, a sizable percentage of the population is still suspicious of the shots. Others lack the time or know-how to score an appointment.
Just over half of all Massachusetts residents have concerns about COVID vaccines, according to a recent state survey, and for businesses eager to protect employees, that reluctance is yet another obstacle in a pandemic full of them. To entice workers to get vaccinated, some Massachusetts employers — especially those with workers who deal with customers face-to-face — are dangling incentives such as gift cards, paid time off or even Lyft rides.
Right now, a select few categories of Massachusetts workers are eligible for vaccinations based on their jobs, including health care workers, first responders and — as of next week — teachers. But that group will expand significantly in the next phase of vaccinations. As it is, employees 65 years and older can get vaccinated, as can those with certain medical conditions.
