CANTON, Ohio — Amid a nationwide push to incentivize apprehensive Americans to get a COVID-19 vaccination, Stark County Health Department announced that two upcoming vaccination clinics will offer $100 gift cards. 

The vaccine clinics will be held Thursday and Friday at the Belden Village Mall. Thursday’s clinic will run from 3-6:30 p.m. and Friday’s hours will be 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Walk-in appointments are welcome or reservations can be made online or by calling 330-451-1681. Those eligible for Medicaid or MyCare who are ages 18 and older will receive a free $100 Visa gift card. Everyone else will have a choice of a $100 gift card to Walmart, Target or Dollar General. 

Last week, President Joe Biden called on states and locales to offer vaccine incentives. 

"I’m calling on all states and local governments to use funding they have received, including from the American Rescue Plan, to give $100 to anyone who gets fully vaccinated," Biden said. "I know that paying people to get vaccinated might sound unfair to folks who’ve gotten vaccinated already, but here’s the deal: If incentives help us beat this virus, I believe we should use them. We all benefit if we can get more people vaccinated."

Stark county’s vaccination rate has lagged the statewide average. According to the Ohio Department of Health, 46% of residents have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot. Statewide, 49.4 of Ohioans have gotten at least one shot.

Stark County has especially lagged the state in getting adults ages 20-49 vaccinated. The majority of adults under the age of 49 within the county are not fully or partially vaccinated against COVID-19, according to state data.

Despite lagging in vaccinations, the county had just one reported coronavirus-related death in July, according to preliminary state figures. The county has reported 939 coronavirus-related deaths and 2,134 virus-related hospitalizations since the start of the pandemic.