COVID Vaccine Lotteries Don't Appear To Be Working, Report Says
(CBS) -- Are cash prizes pushing more people to get vaccinated? It doesn't appear that way, according to a new report.
After an initial bump, state lotteries encouraging people to get their COVID vaccinations haven't been as effective. A Politico analysis found Ohio, the first state to start a vaccine lottery, saw a 40% rise over 10 days. But a month later, the number of people receiving their doses is lower than when the announcement was first made.
And in North Carolina, the million-dollar lotto incentive only led to a 1% increase in vaccinations.
"It's just not working," Irwin Redlener, director of the Pandemic Resource and Response Initiative at Columbia University, told Politico. "People aren't buying it. The incentives don't seem to be working — whether it's a doughnut, a car or a million dollars."
Last week Massachusetts launched its own vaccine lottery "VaxMillions" with five $1 million vaccine prizes as the state nears its goal to fully vaccinate 4.1 million people.
"We're hopeful that this giveaway will give another reason/opportunity for people to choose to get vaccinated here in the Commonwealth over the next couple of months," Gov. Charlie Baker said.
The Massachusetts State Lottery will conduct all drawings. The money for the lottery will come from the American Rescue Plan Act.
"If you're not vaccinated, you can't play," Baker said.
For more information on the Mass VaxMillions Giveaway, visit mass.gov/VaxMillions.