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Vaccinated Oregonians Have a Chance to Win $1 Million, Governor Brown Announces
Update 1:00 pm:
In a press conference about the Take Your Shot Oregon Campaign, Stanford Global Projects Center Executive Director Ashby Monk—who collaborated with the state on developing the campaign—said he hopes the campaign will increase vaccination rates by at least 20 percent and possibly up to 40 percent. That number is based on results from similar campaigns that have been conducted in the private sector.
“This is an experiment, so we’re going to hope for the best and use all the science we have to influence the design,” Monk said.
Governor Brown also acknowledged that the recent lifting of mask requirements for fully vaccinated people has been difficult for businesses who now have to verify proof of vaccination for people who want to forgo wearing a mask. Brown announced that when 70 percent of Oregonian adults have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, she may lift the vaccine verification requirement and allow people to go maskless in businesses without having to prove their vaccination status, pending guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The state is expected to reach the 70 percent target by the end of June.
Original story:
Vaccinated Oregonians have the chance to win up to $1 million from a new collaboration between the Oregon Health Authority and the Oregon Lottery, Governor Kate Brown announced in a press release Friday.
Under the Take Your Shot Oregon campaign, all vaccinated Oregonians 18 and older will be eligible for a $1 million prize, or one of 36 $10,000 prizes. For the $10,000 prizes, there will be one winner per county. Additionally, five $100,000 Oregon College Savings Plan scholarships will be available to Oregonians age 12 to 17 who receive their vaccine.
The drawing will take place June 28 and will include Oregonians who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by midnight June 27. The names of the winners will be announced the following week.
“The Take Your Shot Oregon Campaign is a way to thank Oregonians for stepping up and keeping our communities safe,” Brown said in the press release. “It’s never been easier to get a vaccine, so don’t miss your shot to enter!”
The campaign is funded with $1.86 million from federal COVID relief funds. Oregonians who have received their first dose of the vaccine, whether in-state or out-of-state, are automatically entered into the drawing through Oregon’s vaccine database. Oregonians who have been vaccinated at a site that was managed by the federal government—like a site managed through the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs or a tribal reservation—are not included in Oregon’s vaccine database, but the Governor’s office will be collecting that information to include those Oregonians in the drawing.
This incentive to get vaccinated comes as vaccination rates in the state are steadily declining. Vaccinations in Oregon peaked at over 40,000 doses administered per day in early April. As of May 20, the weekly average was just under 28,000 doses administered per day. Due to a decrease in demand, mass vaccination sites at the Oregon Convention Center and Portland International Airport plan to close in June.
The idea of incentivizing COVID vaccines with state lottery winnings was first championed by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, who announced a $5 million “Vax-a-Million” lottery two weeks ago. Since announcing the prize, Ohio health officials noted a 53 percent week-to-week increase in vaccination rates.