Cities and states across the US are promising gift cards and event access to people with COVID-19 vaccines

People within this age group are not taking the vaccine as fast as the state hoped they would. "If we really want to move the needle, we've got to get our younger people vaccinated," Justice said during a press briefing.

To fund the initiative, the state allocated money from the CARES Act, a measure passed by Congress last year to stave off the financial devastation brought on by the coronavirus.

Gov. Ned Lamont's office has partnered with numerous restaurants around Connecticut that are participating in this initiative.

"To take part in the promotion which will run through the end of May, customers simply show that they have received either one or both doses of a COVID vaccine, at which point they can select from a list of pre-set drinks (alcoholic or non-alcoholic) established by each participating restaurant," the webpage says.

Anyone who pre-registers and drives another city resident to a vaccination site will get the $50 card as a reward.

"Pushing past our inability to manage and win the argument on social media, we really had to be more inventive about how to get the attention of the greater, grander community," said Detroit Deputy Mayor Conrad L. Mallett.

The initiative is part of the city's Good Neighbor program, designed to incentivize those who donate their "time and effort" to help the vaccine cause, Mallett said.

The money will go toward events, gift cards, and other incentives that will be offered to all residents who've been vaccinated, according to the Houston Chronicle.

It's a way to encourage Harris County residents to get vaccinated against the coronavirus in a step toward achieving herd immunity.

"We desperately need these people to get vaccinated, particularly the young people," County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. "I asked you to be as creative as we possibly can because I don't want to sit here a month from now and see the numbers worsen, or see this pandemic extended, and say, 'If we had just done X, would we have avoided this situation?'"

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the initiative comes as the city is "looking at ways in which we can incentivize folks to get the vaccine."

"We're going to be looking at ways in which we can incentivize people to get vaccinated, and do that by looking at preferred seating, preferred admission. So that's still very much a work in progress, and we'll have more to say on that in the coming days," she added.