Ohio's COVID vaccine lottery: Here's who is eligible to win $1 million
Chris PughUpdate: Get the latest details released by the DeWine administration on the Vax-a-Million program here.
With 42 percent of Ohioans who have received at least one dose of the vaccination and the number of first shots given having declined nearly 80% since a peak of 485,860 doses given during the first week of April, Ohio is facing a serious question.
How to get more people vaccinated?
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine outlined a plan Tuesday night as he offered five $1 million prizes to adults who have been vaccinated and five full-ride scholarships to state schools to teens who get vaccinated.
This is in addition to plans to drop the state's health orders on June 2.
DeWine acknowledged that not everybody would be a fan of his idea.
"I know that some may say, “DeWine, you’re crazy! This million-dollar drawing idea of yours is a waste of money.” 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."
Here's what we know about Ohio's vaccination contests for adults and teens.
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How do you know if you are eligible for the $1 million COVID vaccine lottery?
You need to be an Ohio resident, vaccinated and 18 or older.
Is anyone not eligible for the drawings?
“There will be a briefing next week with health and lottery officials that will lay out the terms and conditions of the contest,” DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said Thursday.
He added more details about the rules for the drawing will be released next week.
When are the lottery drawings?
DeWine said drawings will be held for five consecutive Wednesdays, starting May 26, to pick the $1 million winners. The drawings will be held 7:29 p.m. during Ohio Lottery broadcasts.
Where are the winners coming from?
DeWine said the winners will be pulled from the Ohio Secretary of State's voter registration database.
State officials said there will also be a way for those not in the database to sign up.
Will the winners’ names be public?
That’s not yet known, Tierney said, but is unlikely.
How do you know if you are eligible for the full-ride public college scholarships?
DeWine said 12- to 17-year-olds can sign up for the scholarship drawing via an electronic portal that will open May 18.
When are the full-ride public college scholarship drawings being held?
Drawings will be held for five straight Wednesdays starting May 26 to select one student to receive the scholarship, which will cover tuition, room-and-board and books.
Who is doing the drawings?
The Ohio Lottery will conduct the drawings.
Where is the money coming for this?
The money will come from existing federal coronavirus relief funds.
Is Ohio the only state to do a vaccination lottery?
As of May 13, there is no specific state lottery designed for COVID-19, but the Kentucky Lottery is offering free Cash Ball lottery tickets to Kentucky residents who get vaccinated.
What are other states offering?
In West Virginia, residents ages 16 to 35 would be eligible to receive a $100 savings bond if they get vaccinated.
In New Jersey, residents 21 and up can get a free beer when they get vaccinated through it's "shot and a beer" program. for residents 21 and up to get a free beer when they get vaccinated.
Maine is offering free hunting or fishing licenses, LL Bean gift cards or other prizes to residents who get their vaccines by Memorial Day.
Do these incentives work?
The UCLA COVID-19 Health and Politics Project found that people said they would be more willing to be vaccinated if offered cash payments of $25 to $100.
What are the odds of winning?
Roughly 4.88 million Ohioans have received at least one shot of an FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccination.
Of those, around 173,000 are under the age of 19. Statistics aren't kept specifically for the 12 to 17 age group and vaccine access for those aged 12-15 was just granted in Ohio.
COVID-19 vaccinations in Ohio:Ages 12-15: Children's Hospital official says kids are getting hospitalized, encourages vaccination
Here are your rough odds of winning the prizes. Those numbers are subject to change as more people get the vaccine.
For the million: 1 in 4.88 million.
For the scholarships: 1 in 173,000.
For the scholarships: 1 in 34,686.
For context, your odds of winning $1 million Powerball are 1 in 11,688,053.52.
What about taxes?
Further details about the lottery, including whether taxes would be owed on winnings, were not available Wednesday night.
We don't know how officials will verify that a person has been vaccinated.
The USA TODAY Network and Sarah Brookbank of the Cincinnati Enquirer contributed to this story