People over 60 years of age will be eligible for a financial reward for vaccination. Parliament on Thursday passed an amendment to the law on some extraordinary financial measures related to the spread of the coronavirus infection. Ninety-seven out of the 138 lawmakers present for the vote backed the proposal. The elderly will receive the reward in cash and will be able to use the funds as they wish.
The original intention was to provide seniors with €500 vouchers bound to specific purposes, such as spending in hotels and restaurants. In line with the approved version, a financial reward of €300 will be provided to seniors over 60 who register for the third booster shot by the end of the year and undergo vaccination by January 15, 2022. A financial reward of €200 will be provided to the elderly who were given the second shot after June 30, or register for the second jab by the end of this year and are inoculated by January 15, 2022. Finally, a financial reward of €200 will also apply to seniors who received the first shot after November 25, or register themselves for it by the end of the year and get the first jab by January 15, 2022. The financial reward will apply only to seniors vaccinated in Slovakia.
Premier Eduard Heger welcomes Thursday's approval of the amendment. He praised the fact that the votes of opposition MPs contributed towards this as well. According to Heger, the financial reward is a final call for people to do something good for Slovakia. Asked how the situation will look if the omicron variant appears in Slovakia, Heger said that he is leaving such evaluations to experts for now.
Independent MPs belonging to the Voice-SD party backed a proposal enabling the provision of a financial reward for vaccination to people over 60 years of age. Party leader Peter Pellegrini said that they can see in it a certain level of motivation for those who have been or will be vaccinated.
Source: TASR
