The back of a volunteers shirt advocating for the coronavirus vaccine is seen in Washington, DC, on July 31, 2021.
The back of a volunteers shirt advocating for the coronavirus vaccine is seen at Ballou High School in Washington, DC, on July 31, 2021.
Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images
  • DC Mayor Muriel Bowser announced new incentives to encourage kids aged 12 to 17 to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Bowser is offerings AirPods or gift cards, in addition to chances at iPads and scholarships, to kids who get their first dose at certain vaccination sites.
  • The announcement comes amid concerns of the spread of COVID ahead of the upcoming school year.
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Washington, D.C Mayor Muriel Bowser on Saturday announced two COVID-19 vaccine incentives aimed at teenagers to get their first shots.

Bowser announced in a tweet kids between the ages 12-17 who get their first doses at one of the listed vaccinated sites would get Airpods or a $51 VISA gift card and an opportunity to win an iPad or $25,000 college scholarship.

"Parents or guardians who bring their children to one of these three sites are also eligible to receive one $51 VISA gift card per child vaccinated," Bowser's office said in a statement earlier this week.

Bowser's offer comes in the amid a slew of incentives aimed at encouraging more Americans to receive the vaccine. In the District, about 70% of the population are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, data show. However, amid a rise in new cases in July, Bowser issued an indoor mask mandate, regardless of vaccination status.

On a national scale, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show just over half of Americans are fully vaccinated. The upcoming school year is approaching as the US marks rising case counts amid the spread of the more infectious Delta variant.

The US Food and Drug Administration gave the green light for children 12 and older to receive Pfizer's vaccine doses in May. As of last week, only 30% of kids aged 12-17 are fully vaccinated, CNBC reported.

Pediatricians tapped on the FDA to quickly authorize the vaccine for children under 12, according to NBC News.

"The Delta variant has created a new and pressing risk to children and adolescents across this country, as it has also done for unvaccinated adults," Dr. Lee Savio Beers, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, wrote to the FDA acting commissioner in a letter dated August 5, the outlet reported.

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