As Vaccinations Slow, Make Concerts And Sporting Events Walk-Up Locations
As the U.S. slowly moves toward opening up events that host large numbers of people, statistics show that vaccination rates are declining. What has been slowly implemented in spots should become a national model: use the events as pop-up vaccination centers.
While you weren’t looking, more and more sporting events are beginning to offer free vaccinations. The New York Yankees and Mets have done it. So too are the Seattle Mariners, who are offering a “vaccination-only” section that will see tickets priced as low as $10, and those within it receive special rewards exclusive to those fans with proof of full vaccination.
While professional sports clubs and leagues begin the process of rewarding those that are vaccinated with a more communal setting with perks, in Los Angeles, Vax Live was billed as the first large-scale concert. The show, which had over 20,000 fans standing shoulder-to-shoulder (as any good concert should!) was held in Inglewood on May 2 and featured Jennifer Lopez, J Balvin, Eddie Vedder, and the Foo Fighters. The concert was the first test of a “COVID-compliant” audience where all those that attended had to show proof of vaccination. And while SoFi Stadium was far from capacity (it holds 70,000) it was the first glimpse into what can be with those that have been vaccinated.
While this has been done piecemeal, state and local health officials should work with event holders to create policy and frameworks that can be leveraged to allow people to get vaccinated at the event locations. For the event holders, it allows a path to get more paying customers to attend. For state and local government officials, it provides a way to incentive those that are eligible but have not yet been vaccinated to do so. Plainly put, nice things come to those that get vaccinated.
And while the biggest bang for the buck would be large-scale sporting and music events, there’s nothing to say that popup vaccinations at smaller venues and festivals could not be done.
Not all concerts and sporting events could have this activity. But the Biden administration should consider providing guidance to state and local governments to provide a framework that rewards those that have gotten vaccinated while encouraging those that haven’t to do so.
Maury Brown is a senior contributor to Forbes covering the business of sports as well as a professional musician in Portland, OR. He writes about the music and recording industry here on Medium.
