West Virginia officials considering incentive for second booster

“We’re talking — we’re talking exactly about that right now,” Justice said when he was asked if another round of vaccine incentives could be in the works. “We don’t have anything put together right yet.”

All 27 of the state’s latest COVID-19-related deaths were over age 50, he said.

“Every single one of them is 50 years of age and older,” he said. “If you’re not taking this booster shot, it is absolutely just a tremendous mistake — that’s all there is to it.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources COVID-19 dashboard reported 441,258 West Virginians had received a COVID-19 vaccine booster dose. The dashboard does not differentiate between first and second booster doses.

Demand for second doses has been “underperforming,” Marsh said.

“We have only had about 29% of our citizens get boosted,” he said. “When we look at statistics for excess mortality in 2021, we find that if had just been able to stay where we were in 2020 and been able to boost people the way that we initially vaccinated, we would have saved 600,000 in lives (in the U.S.) in 2021.”

West Virginia launched its first COVID-19 vaccine incentive program in May 2021, offering a $100 prepaid gift card to residents ages 16-35 who got at least one vaccine shot.

The next month, the state launched the first round of the “Do it For Babydog” sweepstakes featuring weekly drawings from June 20 to Aug. 4 for a variety of prizes — including $1 million. Two further rounds of the sweepstakes were held, along with the ”I Got Vaxxed” contest for schools hosted by the West Virginia Department of Education.

The DHHR reported eight additional COVID-19 deaths Tuesday morning.

The agency confirmed the deaths of a 75-year-old male from Hampshire County and a 93-year-old female from Clay County.

Additional deaths reported as a result of the Bureau for Public Health’s continuing data reconciliation with the official death certificate are an 83-year-old female from Putnam County, an 81-year-old female from Kanawha County, an 80-year-old female from Cabell County, an 83-year-old male from Summers County, a 79-year-old male from Harrison County, and a 78-year-old female from Tyler County. These deaths range from February to April 2022.

“We mourn with all families suffering the loss of loved ones due to COVID-19,” said DHHR Secretary Bill Crouch. “Please schedule a COVID-19 vaccine to help protect yourself and those around you.”

West Virginians ages 5 years and older are eligible for COVID-19 vaccination; after the primary series, first booster shots are recommended for those 12 and older.

Second booster shots for those age 50 and over that are 4 months or greater from their first booster have been authorized by FDA and recommended by CDC, as well as for younger individuals over 12 years old with serious and chronic health conditions that lead to being considered moderately to severely immunocompromised.

To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines, or to find a vaccine site, visit vaccinate.wv.gov or call 1-833-734-0965.