VAX CASH

California Announces $116.5 Million in Prizes for Vaccinations

Ten people will win $1.5 million each on June 15, and all vaccinated Californians will be automatically entered.

As vaccination rates in California slow, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday that the state would give out 10 prizes of $1.5 million each to vaccinated residents in the style of a similar Ohio vaccination lottery. Any Californian who has received at least one dose will be automatically entered into the drawing, and recipients will be announced June 15. The state will also award 30 prizes of $50,000 each on June 4 and June 11. In addition, the state is doling out $50 gift cards to the first 2 million Californians who receive vaccinations starting Thursday. In all, Newsom said, the prizes for the “Vax for the Win” initiative will amount to $116.5 million. The news comes after Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said his state’s contest, which selected its first winner this week, had increased vaccinations by almost half in a matter of weeks.