LOS ANGELES (AP) – The Californians will receive $ 116.5 million in prize money for coronavirus shots, Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday.
California isn’t the first state to offer vaccination awards, although its cash pot is the largest, as is its most valuable individual award: $ 1.5 million.
The reopening of the state is scheduled for June 15th. A drawing will be held on that day to award the grand prize to 10 vaccinated people.
Another 30 people will win $ 50,000 each. These draws begin on June 4th. Anyone 12 and over who has received at least one shot is eligible. And the next 2 million people who get vaccinated will get $ 50 gift cards.
The state estimates that approximately 12 million Californians aged 12 and over have not been vaccinated. Approximately 63% of the 34 million eligible people received shots, although the pace has slowed significantly in recent weeks as infection rates plummeted to record lows.
Ohio this week announced the first-ever $ 1 million winner of its “Vax-a-Million” competition and the first child to be awarded a full college scholarship. Colorado and Oregon also offered prizes of $ 1 million.
New York is giving away 50 full scholarships for children ages 12-17 at public universities and colleges across the state and will select 10 winners for each of the next five Wednesdays.
California’s turning to cash prizes to promote vaccinations is a big turn from earlier this year when Californians were calling for shots and some stood in line or waited for hours to get one.
“Some Californians weren’t ready to get their COVID-19 vaccine the first day, and that’s fine. This program is designed to encourage those who need extra support to get vaccinated and keep California safe, ”said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, Director of the State Ministry of Health, in a statement.
Newsom’s office said the program aims to reach people in communities hardest hit by the pandemic – mainly the poor, blacks and Latinos – although it was not immediately clear how the money would be tailored towards that goal would.
California uses a “Vaccine Equity Metric” to track vaccination progress, dividing zip codes into four quartiles from least to most beneficial. Almost half of the people in the least favored neighborhoods have not yet been vaccinated, according to the state.
In contrast, less than a quarter of people in the most deprived areas were not vaccinated.
Of all Latinos, 57% have not yet been vaccinated. That is the highest percentage of any race or ethnic group. According to state figures, 40% of white Californians are not vaccinated.
Brian Melley and Kathleen Ronayne, The Associated Press
