Just when you thought corporations so desperately cared about your health, Krispy Kreme announced that it will give away a free original glazed donut to anyone who presents their COVID-19 vaccination card at any of their participating locations this year.
Now that sounds sweet and all, but this flies in the face of recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stating that obesity increases one risk of death for those afflicted by the virus.
Want to know a shortcut to obesity and poor health? Donuts.
Sure, ONE donut may not hurt one person, but it could hurt another with underlying medical conditions. So how exactly does this hot glazed gesture show regard for public health?
What’s even more unsavory about this is the fact that corporations feel the need to encourage their customers to behave a certain way. It’s despicable and disgusting to dangle a donut in our faces as some sort of reward of virtue. Poor optics are at play at the very least. Sure, a private company can do what they want, but that also means that the public has the right to give them the roasting they deserve for pandering in such a manner.
Additionally, have HIPPA laws gone out the window? There’s no way a sane American would share sensitive health information with a complete stranger in exchange for a pastry. Imagine what else people will do if we only bribed them with baked goods?
What’s next? Free lattes if you get the jab? Free rent if you roll up your sleeves? Free healthcare if you let us inject you? At the end of the day, it’s your personal choice if you want to be vaccinated. But the avenues taken to beg Americans to take it aren’t building confidence.
Certainly there are people lining up right now to flash their vaccine cards for some of the hot, yeasty, sugary donuts that probably taste even better since they’re free. But some of us grew up with one common understanding: that if someone out of the blue gives you anything, you better be suspicious of it.
Sources:
https://news.yahoo.com/covid-vaccine-motivation-krispy-kreme-040104974.html
