Free beer with COVID shot program in western New York boosts vaccination turnout

Erie follows other local government with such a program in an effort to get more Americans, particularly younger people. vaccinated.

Published: May 10, 2021 7:27am

Updated: May 10, 2021 8:34am

A program Saturday in New York's Erie County in which residents received a free pint with their first COVID-19 shot, resulted in a record number of vaccinations, says the county's top elected official.

County Executive Mark Poloncarz said roughly more people were vaccinated at the first-dose clinics than at most of the county's first-dose clinics in the past week combined. 

"It's been a success, he told The Buffalo News. "We figured it would be pretty good, but now we're seeing the results."

The county partnered with a microbrewery Resurgence Brewing Company for the "Shot and Chaser program."

Erie follows other local government with such a program including New York's Suffolk County and New Jersey, in an effort to get more Americans, particularly younger people, vaccinated, as participation rates slow after an initial surge. 

The Facts Inside Our Reporter's Notebook

Unlock unlimited access

  • No Ads Within Stories
  • No Autoplay Videos
  • VIP access to exclusive Just the News newsmaker events hosted by John Solomon and his team.
  • Support the investigative reporting and honest news presentation you've come to enjoy from Just the News.
  • Just the News Spotlight

    Support Just the News