California offering $116M in prize money as incentive for getting COVID-19 vaccine

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — For California residents reluctant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, state officials on Thursday announced a big incentive: a shot at $1.5 million.

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State officials unveiled an incentive that will reward 10 people $1.5 million apiece in a $116 million program, the Los Angeles Times reported.

“Some Californians weren’t ready to get their COVID-19 vaccine on day one, and that’s OK,” Dr. Tomás Aragón, director of the California Department of Public Health and the state’s public health officer, said in a statement. “This program is designed to encourage those who need extra support to get vaccinated and help keep California safe.”

The 10 grand prizes will be chosen on June 15, the day California is scheduled to fully reopen its economy, the Times reported. In addition, the state is putting up 30 prizes of $50,000 each. Fifteen winners will be chosen on June 4, and the other 15 will be selected on June 11.

California’s announcement comes the day after Ohio announced its first Vax-a-Million winner, the first of five lottery drawings that will award one state resident a $1 million prize and a full-ride scholarship to a student between the ages of 12 and 17.

Abbigail Bugenske, of the Cincinnati suburb of Silverton, was picked as the first of five $1 million winners on Wednesday, while Joseph Costello, of Englewood, won a full-ride scholarship to any of Ohio’s state universities, lottery officials said.

Colorado and Oregon have also offered $1 million prizes, according to The Associated Press. New York is raffling 50 full scholarships to children 12 to 17 to the state’s public universities and colleges. Ten winners will be selected over the next five weeks.

>> Coronavirus: Ohio announces first Vax-a-Million winners

In California, residents who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will be eligible for the state’s prizes, the Times reported. People who have already received both doses also will be entered in the drawing, lottery officials said.

If a person under the age of 18 should be selected, the prize will be placed into a savings account until that person comes of age, according to the Times.

As an additional incentive, state officials said the next 2 million people who begin and finish their COVID-19 vaccine series will be eligible for either a $50 prepaid card or a $50 grocery gift card that can be used in the state’s major grocery chains, the Times reported.

State officials estimated that about 12 million residents aged 12 and older have not been vaccinated. About 63% of the 34 million Californians eligible have received shots, according to the AP.

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