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“Just a Little Off the Top, and a Vaccine Please”

In a previous article we spoke of the unlikeliest pairings, vaccination centres for COVID and black-owned barber shops, were about to find their way together.

Well as the weeks went on, this action came into play and we now understand how this amazing idea can operate.

Chicago native Channel Coleman partnered with the City of Chicago to help her clients and neighbours in Englewood, which is a predominantly black neighbourhood in the town, with the lowest vaccination rate in the area.

To help fix this, they launched an ingenious incentive – cut for a jab.

This new project is taking place just weeks before the deadline of President Biden’s objective to make sure at least 70% of American adults had their first dose of the vaccination by Independence Day. And as Black Americans are lowest number of vaccinated people, in terms of racial and ethnic groups, this substantially helps bring healthcare to those have more barriers to get to it.

The shots just happened so fast. I think that’s what was kind of scaring people. And then you have people just having different reactions to it” says Coleman.

This incentive is aptly named “Vax and Relax” and allows anyone over the age of 12 to receive a haircut and tickets to the American theme park chain, Six Flags, in exchange for a shot of the Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccines.

Many health experts have concluded that many people form disadvantaged areas with low-income families cannot afford to take time off work or travel to vaccination sites – and this opportunity allows people not only to receive the healthcare they are entitled to, but are also rewarded for it.

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