One rural Thai district has the beefiest COVID-19 vaccination enticement yet: a live cow. Everyone who signs up for vaccines in that area is entered into a lottery; once a week, through the end of the year, the bovine prize is awarded. Thailand has been slow to vaccinate its public, but as a big rollout begins this month, officials worry that folks in the upcountry will shirk inoculations. The cow giveaway is working — registration in this mountain district is skyrocketing — and the government will even deliver the animal to the winners’ homes.
The story you just read is not locked behind a paywall because listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World. Can we count on you?