Vax-a-Million: Ohio offering money, scholarships to people who get COVID-19 vaccine

By Alyssa Wilson Published: May 18, 2021

Vax-a-Million: Ohio offering money, scholarships to people who get COVID-19 vaccine

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine acknowledges members of the media while entering his residence after testing positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day Thursday, Aug. 6, 2020, in Bexley, Ohio. DeWine tested positive using a rapid test Thursday, before testing negative later in the day using a more sensitive laboratory-developed test. No test for coronavirus infection is perfect, and test results can be affected by a variety of factors, including the type of test used, the quality of the sample and when it was taken during the course of any infection. (AP Photo/Jay LaPrete)

By: Alyssa Wilson

The state of Ohio is getting creative to get residents vaccinated against COVID-19 with its Vax-a-Million campaign. Governor Mike DeWine announced the state would give $1 million to five adults who get the vaccine, and full four-year scholarships to a state public college to five students who get vaccinated, Buzzfeed News reported.

To be eligible, young adults between the ages of 12 and 17 must register through an online portal and enter the drawing. Winners will be randomly selected every Wednesday for five weeks beginning May 26.

Five adults, 18 and older, will be eligible for $1 million through a lottery program. In order to win, a person entered in the competition must receive at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by the date of the drawing.

The prizes will be funded through coronavirus relief funds, and administered by the Ohio Department of Health. The state lottery commission will assist with the program, and winners will be announced on local television stations each Wednesday evening.

Interested residents can register here.

Ohio has had more than one million cases of COVID-19 and more than 19,000 deaths. About 42% of the state’s population is vaccinated against the virus.

Most of the state’s pandemic health orders expire on June 2. “It is time to end the health orders. It’s been a year. You’ve followed the protocols. You’ve done what we’ve asked. You’ve bravely fought this virus,” DeWine said. “And now, our cases are down, and we have a tested and proven weapon with the vaccine that all Ohioans 12 and over can utilize.”