Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s [lottery to win one of 5 $1 million prizes] to encourage vaccinations appears to be an early win.
State health officials said [May 17] that more than 25,400 Covid-19 vaccine shots were administered [May 14], two days after the program was announced, making it the highest vaccination day in three weeks.
Maybe more telling were the people who got vaccinated. Vaccinations for residents ages 30 to 74 spiked by 6 percent after weeks of steady decline.
“Not only have we achieved our goal of increasing public awareness and interest, but we have slowed what was a consistent decline, and in certain age groups we’re seeing an increase again,” state Health Director Stephanie McCloud said. “This is doing exactly what we intended it to do.”
Other states have promoted incentives for residents to get vaccinated, as well — West Virginia offered $100 saving bonds to people ages 16 to 35, New Jersey offered free beers, and New York offered free MetroCards for anyone who gets a shot at a subway vaccination site, NBC News has reported.
