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Vaccine hesitancy rates have shown modest declines in the past month as more businesses introduce perks for getting the shots, a trend that has bolstered President Joe Biden's push to increase the national rate to 70% by the Fourth of July.

The United States has seen a shrinking rate of hesitancy surrounding vaccine safety. The proportion of the population that is unwilling to be vaccinated fell 3 percentage points on average from the week of April 26 through May 31, falling from 34% to 31%, according to new polling from Morning Consult.

Now, the Biden administration is ramping up efforts to boost national vaccination rates and encourage trust in the scientific research that went into developing the shots. The White House announced on Wednesday that June would be the "Month of Action" aimed at boosting incentives for people to get the COVID-19 shots after vaccination rates dipped in mid-April. The administration will also provide free childcare services to make it easier for parents and caretakers to get vaccinated. Biden also announced pharmacies would be open every Friday night this month to provide shots to those who want them around the clock.

Falling vaccination rates are "one of the reasons why we are working with every entity that can play a constructive role here," White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Thursday. The federal government's engagement with private businesses includes deals for food and drink perks from Anheuser-Busch and Krispy Kreme.

Incentives have recently been introduced, so it will take time to see measurable benefits, according to Dr. Susan Hassig, an epidemiologist at Tulane University in Louisiana, the state with the second-lowest vaccination rate after Mississippi, with only 36% of adults having received a shot. Still, incentives have proven successful in some states that put them in place.

In Ohio, for instance, vaccinations among adults ages 20 to 49 jumped 55% one week after Republican Gov. Mike DeWine announced a cash incentive on May 12 that would give five adults who have received at least their first dose of vaccine $1 million through a new state lottery system funded with federal coronavirus relief dollars. Among 18 and 19-year-olds, there has been a 46% increase in vaccinations.

The national push to get 70% of adults at least one shot by the Fourth of July should not be a one-off, Hassig said. Rather, the incentives for getting vaccinated will have to extend beyond the next month.

"[People] still have questions, and they need to find some way to get them answered before they ultimately commit to be vaccinated," Hassig said. "For some people, it's kind of like teaching your kids to eat vegetables. You need to offer it to them five or six times before they'll ultimately take a few bites and they decide, 'Hey, this broccoli is pretty tasty.'"