OBSERVER Photo by Gregory Bacon Chautauqua County Interim Health Department Director Dr. Michael Faulk expressed his support for the county to accept a federal grant regarding vaccinations. The legislature agreed to accept the grant, but will not allow gift cards to be given to those who get vaccinated.

MAYVILLE — Chautauqua County officials have agreed to accept a federal grant to promote vaccinations, but they’re not allowing recipients to be given gift cards.

During the county legislature meeting Wednesday, lawmakers voted 17-1 to allow the county’s Office for Aging Services to accept a $286,500 grant. The money is to be used to help vaccinate people of any age against COVID, flu, shingles and pneumonia.

In the original resolution, it stated that the money would be used to cover costs related to vaccine delivery, including advertising and incentives. The vaccines are already paid for.

At committee meetings last week, county officials were told by the Office for the Aging that they planned to purchase gift cards and give them out as incentives to those who get the flu or COVID-19 vaccines.

At the start of Wednesday night’s meeting, one resident, Anthony Tota of Jamestown, spoke out against the grant. “When you’re selecting a few groups and incentivizing them to take either a flu vaccine or the COVID vaccine, then you are eliminating or isolating the rest of us who may or may not want to take the COVID vaccine without such funding. The amount of funds that are appropriated for that purpose obviously won’t include everybody in the county who wants to take the COVID vaccine or the flu vaccine, so in that way it’s kind of discriminatory,” he said.

After Tota spoke, Dr. Michael Faulk, interim county public health director, expressed his support of the grant. “The sicker we get, the more we Americans access medical care, which results in higher taxes and health insurance premiums. What is the most important remedy for this? Prevention,” he said.

He argued that the more people get vaccinated, the better prepared they are to fight diseases and viruses including pneumonia, COVID or RSV. “While I acknowledge every treatment, such as a surgery, a medication, or in this case a vaccine, has their risks and their benefits, it is my opinion that the benefits far outweigh the risks,” Faulk said.

When the time came to vote on the resolution, an amendment was made, removing any incentives for receiving the vaccines, including gift cards. The motion to amend the resolution was made by Legislator Tom Harmon, R-Silver Creek, and seconded by Legislator Bob Banknoski, D-Dunkirk.

The amended resolution was passed by an 18-1 vote. Voting against it was Legislator Terry Niebel, R-Sheridan.

Niebel noted how 18 months ago the legislature rejected a $75,000 grant to get people in the minority communities vaccinated, something he supported because the Health Department assured him they would not push the COVID vaccination to children under 5. “This resolution speaks directly vaccinating people of any age against COVID. Although the grant is through the Office for the Aging, it references a working relationship with the departments of Health and Mental Hygiene. I will not be supporting this resolution,” he said.

After the vote, The Post-Journal/OBSERVER asked Faulk for his reaction regarding the legislature’s decision to accept the grant but to eliminate giving out gift cards to people who get vaccinated. “I think overall, the legislature made a decision about the incentives, but I think it still allows Office for the Aging Services to provide that important function of vaccinating those most vulnerable,” he said.