One state is giving 5 people who get COVID-19 vaccine $1 million each
It's part of Ohio's push against declining demand for vaccination.
Getting the COVID-19 vaccine will turn five Ohio residents into millionaires, as the state tries to fight back against declining demand. Starting later this month, every adult who's gotten at least one dose of the vaccine will be entered into a $1 million lottery, Gov. Mike DeWine said Tuesday.
There will be five weekly drawings, with the first winners being announced on May 26. It's only open to people over the age of 18, but the state is holding a separate lottery for younger people who've been vaccinated -- five winners will receive a full, four-year scholarship to a State of Ohio university.
"I know that some may say, 'DeWine, you're crazy. This million-dollar drawing idea of yours is a waste of money,'" the governor said in an address Wednesday, as previously reported by ABC. "But truly, the real waste at this point in the pandemic -- when the vaccine is readily available to anyone who wants it -- is a life lost to COVID-19."
Most states aren't being quite so generous in terms of vaccine incentives, but companies, organizations and local governments around the country are offering free stuff ranging from doughnuts and beer to money and sports tickets for getting protected against the coronavirus.