Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The Prince Edward County Board of Supervisors agreed to a couple changes in the way the county’s student vaccination incentive program is carried out.

After the Board of Supervisors initially approved $5,000 for $1,000 scholarships to be awarded in a drawing to students who receive COVID-19 vaccinations, other county businesses and organizations have added another $15,000 to the pot, bringing to the total available for scholarships to $20,000.

Stanley asked the board to modify the original plan to move from $1,000 scholarships to 10 $2,000 scholarships. The board also moved the deadline for getting vaccinations to be eligible for the scholarship drawing from August 1 to August 13.

“I believe the school system is talking with the health district about trying to schedule a clinic,” Stanley said. “I we can get a clinic scheduled in that first couple weeks that would give the opportunity for us to get more of the kids vaccinated and give them an additional opportunity for entering into the drawing to potentially win a scholarship.”

Prince Edward County trails much of the state with only 33.7% of the population fully vaccinated. The number of citizens who have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine stands at 38.5%. The county has the ninth lowest percentage of fully vaccinated residents in Virginia. The state rate of fully vaccinated residents is 51.8%. The national rate is 48.3%.