Publix offers $125 gift cards to workers who receive the COVID-19 vaccine

• Employees have to show proof of vaccination and fill out an internal form to receive the gift cards.
• Publix was among the first to partner with Florida to distribute the Moderna vaccine, a spokesperson told Insider.
• Workers don't have to receive the vaccine from Publix Pharmacy.

Publix Supermarkets will offer $125 gift cards to employees who get the manufacturer-recommended doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the company said.

Employees must show proof of vaccination and fill out an internal form to receive the gift cards, but they don't have to receive the vaccine at a Publix Pharmacy, according to a press release.

"We care about our associates and customers and believe getting vaccinated can help us take one step closer to getting back to normal," said Publix CEO Todd Jones in the press release. "We're encouraging our associates to get vaccinated when they become eligible and doses are available."

The popular Southern grocery chain has more than 1,200 locations, with the bulk of them in Florida. The company has grown into the largest employee-owned company in the US.

Publix was among the first to partner with the state of Florida after the initial request to distribute the Moderna vaccine, a company spokesperson told Insider.

The supermarket joins a growing list of employers who have offered incentives to workers who receive the two-dose COVID-19 vaccine.

Target said earlier this month that it will offer four hours of paid time off and pay for Lyft rides for workers to get vaccinated, while Kroger said that it will pay $100 to workers who receive the full manufacturer-recommended vaccine doses.

Other companies have made similar incentives available to employees who get vaccinated.

The two-dose vaccines, including one from Pfizer-BioNtech and another from Moderna, received FDA approval in December. Around 34 million people have received one or more doses since the vaccine approval.

People who are vulnerable to severe COVID-19, like older people, those with other medical conditions, and "essential" workers, including doctors, nurses and grocery workers, have been prioritized, depending on the state.

The vaccine's initial rollout in the US was laden with delays. The timeline for when COVID-19 vaccines will be available to everyone in the US has slipped into May or possibly June, Dr. Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden's chief medial advisor, told CNN this week.

Appointments for the vaccine have moved mostly online, but those without internet access or internet savvy are struggling to sign up for their shots, Insider reported Saturday. The people who lack access and time to sign up for the vaccine are the same as those most at risk for contracting and dying from the disease: minorities, homeless, and elderly Americans.