Washington, June 1 (TIWN) More states and cities across the US are offering lotteries, cash payments or other incentive programs to encourage more residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19.

“We encourage states to use their creativity to draw attention to vaccines and get their states and the country back to normal as quickly as possible,” Andy Slavitt, White House senior adviser on the national COVID-19 response, said on Monday.  On May 24, California, the most populous US state, announced to offer $116.5 million in prize money to stimulate residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19, as it prepares to fully reopen on June 15.  Top 10 winners will receive $1.5 million each on the first day of the state’s reopening, while another 30 people will take a $50,000 prize on June 4 and 11.  Ohio unveiled a Vax-a-Million lottery program to boost lagging vaccination rates. 

The state announced its first $1 million dollar vaccine lottery winner last week, a 22-year-old from Shaker Heights.  Maryland, New York and Oregon have also announced similar programs to boost vaccination rates.