Dundalk Resident Wins $500K In Booster Shot Lottery

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- A Dundalk resident has won $500,000 as part of VaxCash 2.0, the state's vaccine lottery to encourage booster shots, the Maryland Lottery announced on Tuesday.

Gov. Larry Hogan announced the $2 million lottery last week.

As the state continues to emerge from a surge in cases fueled by the Omicron variant, Hogan said booster shots are more important than ever.

"All of the data shows that protection does wane over time, and so no one should consider themselves fully protected unless you have gotten a booster shot," he said.

Additional drawings will be held once a week over the next 10 weeks for $50,000 prizes. On the 12th and final week, the lottery ends with a drawing for a $1 million grand prize.

Everyone age 18 and older who has received all their vaccine doses and a booster shot in Maryland is eligible for the drawings.

As with previous lotteries to incentivize vaccinations, lottery officials are using a random number generator to select a winner.

Last May, the state awarded $40,000 prizes over the course of 40 days, culminating in a $400,000 grand prize drawing on the Fourth of July, to incentive vaccinations.

In July, the state awarded $50,000 college scholarships to 20 Marylander between the ages of 12 and 17 who got vaccinated.

In:
• Dundalk
• Maryland
• COVID-19
• Coronavirus
• Larry Hogan
• Baltimore County