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Dough not throw away your shot.
While some Americans are still taking a “wait and see” approach on getting one of the available COVID-19 vaccines, Krispy Kreme is trying to sweeten the deal by offering people who get vaccinated a free doughnut every day for the rest of the year.
Yes, that’s one free doughnut every single day through the end of 2021 at all U.S. Krispy Kreme locations. And no purchase is required.
“Starting today, bring your Vaccine Card to a Krispy Kreme shop and get 1 FREE Original Glazed doughnut,” the pastry and coffee chain tweeted on Monday. The post has been “liked” over 10,000 times and drawn thousands of comments.
What’s more, people getting the Moderna
MRNA,
or Pfizer
PFE,
vaccine, which require two doses spaced around three weeks to a month apart, can qualify for the freebie as long as they’ve gotten the first dose. Those getting the one-shot Johnson & Johnson
JNJ,
jab qualify after getting their one and only dose.
Guests need to show their COVID-19 Vaccination Report Card to snag their treat — so no, just your “I got vaccinated” sticker doesn’t count as proof of inoculation. And they must redeem the offer in person while in one of the U.S. stores or at the drive-thru. Read the details here.
It should come as no surprise that this seemingly too-good-to-be-true offer quickly became the top trending topic on Twitter
TWTR,
and Google
GOOGL,
early Monday afternoon. The terms “free krispy kreme vaccine” and “krispy kreme vaccine giveaway” were breakout Google searches in the U.S. on Monday and Tuesday. People have a pretty universal appetite for freebies, for one thing. And surveys have found many people turning to comfort foods over the past year to self-soothe during the ongoing pandemic and its economic fallout, as well as the contentious U.S. presidential election.
Read more: Google searches for ‘coffee’ and ‘liquor stores’ break records as election results trickle in
But this promotion also led many critics to express concern that such a deal could help exacerbate America’s obesity epidemic — especially after a recent study found that two in five Americans have gained more weight than they intended over the past 12 months, packing on 29 pounds on average.
What’s more, being overweight or obese can also put you at higher risk of catching COVID-19, or developing more severe illness if you get infected. The CDC warns that having obesity may even triple the risk of hospitalization. And as one’s body-mass index (BMI) increases — which is something many Americans have experienced during the pandemic — their risk of death from COVID-19 also increases.
But supporters countered that anything that convinces more Americans to get vaccinated is a good thing.
Krispy Kreme isn’t the only company trying to encourage more people to get vaccinated against COVID. The e-commerce rewards app Drop is offering $50 in points to anyone who shares a vaccine selfie and the hashtag #DropCovid. Cleveland’s Market Garden Brewery is also offering a “beer and a shot” special where the first 2,021 people who bring in their completed COVID Vaccine Certificate can get a beer for 10 cents.
And ride-share companies Lyft
LYFT,
and Uber
UBER,
are providing free or discounted trips to vaccination centers, although they have yet to announce any discounts or promotions for those already vaccinated. Yet.
