DeKalb commissioners approved Tuesday the funding that will allow the county to offer monetary incentives to employees who get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The commission unanimously supported the allocation of up to $1.9 million in federal American Rescue Plan funds to cover the cost of offering $300 to any county employee who gets — or has already gotten — fully vaccinated.

The incentive is part of a larger initiative that will also offer $200 to employees who get a flu shot. That money will come from the county’s operating budget.

The county government — which does not include the local school district — has about 6,000 employees. The total allotment of up to $3.2 million would be enough to pay all of them to get vaccinated against both viruses.

Employees will need to provide proof of vaccination by Jan. 31, 2022, officials have previously said.

“We want to aggressively encourage all of our employees to get not just the COVID-19 vaccination but the flu vaccination,” DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond said Tuesday.

About the Author

Keep Reading

Atlanta art and antiques appraiser and auctioneer Allan Baitcher (right) takes bids during a 2020 auction. Baitcher and his company, Peachtree Antiques, are being sued by a Florida multimillionaire who says he paid them $20 million for fakes. (AJC 2020)

Credit: Phil Skinner / Staff

Featured

Bubble test SAT ACT test sheet circles pencil bubbles college school standardized test