Tennessee won’t incentivize COVID shots but pays to vax cows

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Despite having some of the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country, Tennessee isn’t planning to offer any incentives for people to get the shot. But it’s a different story when it comes to cattle, where the state has reimbursed farmers nearly half a million dollars over the past two years to vaccinate their herds against respiratory and other diseases. Gov. Bill Lee says he does not think the state should offer incentives for COVID-19 inoculations. Vaccination rates for COVID-19 hover at 39% in Tennessee, versus over 49% nationally for the fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s COVID hospitalizations have more than tripled over the past three weeks.