The COVID-19 Vaccine Bribery Game

Let's start this posting by defining the word "bribery".  According to the Legal Information Institute, bribery is defined as:

  

"Corrupt solicitation, acceptance, or transfer of value in exchange for official action.

  

Bribery refers to the offering, giving, soliciting, or receiving of any item of value as a means of influencing the actions of an individual holding a public or legal duty. This type of action results in matters that should be handled objectively being handled in a manner best suiting the private interests of the decision maker. Bribery constitutes a crime and both the offeror and the recipient can be criminally charged.

 

Proof of bribery requires demonstrating a “quid pro quo” relationship in which the recipient directly alters behavior in exchange for the gift."

 

Here is a graphic that recently appeared on the Bring Back Louisiana Sleeves Up Twitter page:

 

 

According to Baton Rouge's NBC/Fox Proud website, the Shots for Santa event which is part of the Louisiana Department of Health's Bring Back Louisiana campaign, allowed children and adults aged 5 and up to receive their COVID-19 vaccination and, as an added incentive, receive a $100 Visa debit card if it was their first shot as shown here:

 

....and quoted here:

 

"And there is an added bonus if this is your first COVID-19 shot.

 

“We have 100-dollar gift cards for anybody who is receiving their first shot today,” said Sheree Taillon (the COVID-19 Incentives Coordinator for the Louisiana Department of Health). 

 

If you missed tonight’s events Taillon says there are many more.

 

“We actually have about forty to fifty events every single day where we are giving out the $100 gift cards,” Taillon said."

 

Oh yes, and children got to see Santa who I'm certain was fully vaccinated and along with getting their faces painted along with other giveaways. 

 

This is not Louisiana's first attempt at bribing its citizens into being vaccinated.  Back in June 2021, the Office of the Governor of Louisiana made this announcement:

 

 

"Louisianans who have taken at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and are age 18 or older may enter to win one of four $100,000 prizes and the grand prize of $1 million. Louisianans who have taken at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and are between the ages of 12 and 17 may enter to win one of nine $100,000 scholarships. Louisianans are eligible if they have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine before the drawing date – regardless of when they were vaccinated.

 

Louisiana will have four weekly drawings for one $100,000 scholarship and one $100,000 cash prize. The final grand prize drawing on August 6, 2021 will award a $1 million cash award and five $100,000 scholarships. Overall awards will total $2.3 million, paid using federal COVID outreach dollars."

  

And, here are the winners of the cash and scholarships:

 

The skeptic in me wonders why governments are using bribery to get their citizens vaccinated.

Only time will tell whether it was worth getting the experimental vaccines that have not yet completed Phase 3 trials for the lottery win and the $100 debit card particularly since absolutely no long-term data on adverse events is available.