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President Biden wants $100 payments ‘for every newly vaccinated American’

President Biden is calling on state, territorial, and local governments to provide $100 payments to incentivize Americans to receive a coronavirus vaccine.

"Today, the President is calling on state, territorial, and local governments to provide $100 payments for every newly vaccinated American, as an extra incentive to boost vaccination rates, protect communities, and save lives," the U.S. Department of Treasury said in a statement. "Treasury stands ready to give technical assistance to state and local governments so that they may use the funds effectively to support increased vaccination in their communities."

The move comes as the vaccine rollout in America has slowed despite a recent rise case counts and hospitalizations in certain parts of the country.

About 57.1% of Americans of all ages have been fully vaccinated, though herd immunity is considered by experts to be at least 75% vaccinated of any community.

These incentives provide alternatives to state officials imposing vaccine mandates, an idea that has been floated to mitigate the resurgence of cases amid the Delta variant.

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According to the CDC, 99.2% of COVID-related deaths since the beginning of the year have been among unvaccinated Americans.

Governors have begun requiring state employees to get vaccinated, and President Biden is expected to implement similar guidelines for federal employees.

Some states have taken their own measures to incentivize their residents to get vaccinated.

In Colorado, residents can now get $100 Walmart gift cards if they get vaccinated at certain locations throughout the state. Other states are offering college scholarships to students between the ages of 12-17 who get their COVID-19 vaccines.

And at least in some case, the incentives have worked: In Columbus, Ohio, residents can now get $100 for getting vaccinated. According to the city's health department, this led to a 288.5% increase in vaccinations just in the first week.

Adriana Belmonte is a reporter and editor covering politics and health care policy for Yahoo Finance. You can follow her on Twitter @adrianambells and reach her at adriana@yahoofinance.com.

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