Get vaccinated, win a car? Kiwi giveaway confirmed

While New Zealand’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been lauded by most overseas, we continue to lag behind other nations in terms of vaccination rates. 

Slow uptake of vaccinations by the government and subsequent roll-out issues are part of this, as is cynicism of the vaccine shared on social media. 

Numerous groups have announced ploys designed to encourage more Kiwis to get vaccinated. The latest of these is Mediaworks’ The Wheel of Immunity; a promotion run in conjunction with nightly current affairs show The Project. The catch? In order to go in the draw to win, applicants need to show that they’ve been vaccinated.

The biggest prizes on offer in the promotion are a pair of cars supplied by dealership and auction firm Turners Automotive Group. Winners will be able to choose a car valued at up to $15,000. They will also receive a $5,000 accessories package supplied by Hyper Drive. 

“Partnering with The Project was a no-brainer. We also reached out to our mates at Hyper Drive who have provided $5,000 worth of accessories on each car,” says Turners chief executive Todd Hunter.

“We’ll be running a staff incentive internally as well as giving away the cars because the quicker we get these vaccination rates up, the better.

“Hyper Drive didn’t hesitate to jump on with us and we encourage other companies to think creatively on how we boost vaccination rates in New Zealand.”  

While much has been made about Auckland’s surge in first doses of the Covid-19 vaccine, having recently hit 80 per cent, New Zealand’s outright rate of fully vaccinated people currently sits at 35.1 per cent. 

By contrast, the United States’ vaccination rate is 55.9 per cent, the UK’s is 67.1 per cent, and Australia’s is 41.5 per cent.