Get a shot and a prize at COVID vaccination event at Columbia’s Riverbanks Zoo
Riverbanks Zoo & Garden will host a COVID-19 vaccination event on Saturday, and prizes will be given to anyone who gets a shot.
Those who receive either a first or second dose of the Pfizer vaccine, or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) vaccine, will get a general admission pass to the zoo. The pass is good for one year.
People who get the shot will also receive a plush toy stuffed animal — while supplies last.
The plush toys range from $12.99-$22.99 on the zoo’s website, while an adult pass to Riverbanks costs $21.99 before taxes.
The vaccinations will be given at the Columbia zoo from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Masks must be worn by any vistor to the zoo because of a city ordinances that requires the face coverings inside all buildings and outdoors when physical distance of 6 feet cannot be maintained.
The event is being hosted by the state Department of Education, which has teamed up with the state Department of Health and Environmental Control on an initiative to get more people vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Dubbed “In It to Win It,” the goal is to support local school districts, encourage vaccinations and provide information and resources to Richland County residents.
Nearly 51% of South Carolina residents are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to DHEC. In Richland County, 61% of eligible residents have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, DHEC data shows. That is less than the 72% national rate.
South Carolina has reported more than 834,000 (confirmed and probable) cases of the coronavirus and 11,913 deaths.
