Will The Ohio Vaccine Lottery Entice Clevelanders To Get The Shot?

Updated: 1:45 p.m. Monday, May 17, 2021

People getting the COVID-19 vaccine at the Wolstein Center Thursday were not enticed by Gov. Mike DeWine’s announcement that five vaccinated people will receive a million dollars.

Barb Semple and her husband Steven said they would have received vaccines without the lottery.

“But we don’t mind if we win," she said. 

Others getting their vaccines Thursday answered similarly.

"I think it's pretty cool I guess," said one person who didn't give his name as he rushed into the mass vaccination clinic. The lottery didn't influence his decision to get the vaccine, and he doesn't think he'll win. 

Some didn’t know about the vaccine lottery, like Maria from Paynesville. She decided to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine because she has a known allergy to the ingredients of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. 

"It's the only vaccine I can get," she said. 

Gov. DeWine calls the program “Ohio Vax-a-Million,” and it's been met with criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike. 

Rev. Sarah Taylor, a Vermilion resident, wonders if the COVID-19 relief funds could have been spent differently, but isn’t totally opposed to the idea.  

"If it helps, I think we need people to be vaccinated, so I’m in favor of trying stuff out and seeing what works," Taylor said.

Demand for the COVID-19 vaccine has slowed, which was evident from the smaller number of people filtering in and out of the Wolstein Center on Thursday. Workers said there has been a consistent flow of people, but demand is noticeably less than the first few weeks when the mass vaccination center was appointment-only, and vaccines were harder to find.

The money for the vaccine lottery is coming from federal coronavirus relief funds. To be eligible, a person must be 18 years or older and an Ohio resident.

For people under 18, there is a similar lottery system for vaccinated people to win a full, four-year scholarship, with room and board included, to any public Ohio university. 

The Ohio Lottery will conduct the drawings every Wednesday starting May 26. Ohioans 18 and older who have received a received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can enter to win one of five $1 million prizes.

Ohioans ages 12-17 who have received a received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine can enter to win one of five four-year, full-ride scholarships, including room and board, tuition, and books, to any Ohio state college or university.

Beginning May 18, Ohioans who would like to enter the drawings must opt-in by visiting ohiovaxamillion.com or by calling the Ohio Department of Health Call Center at 1-833-4-ASK-ODH (1-833-427-5634) between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m.

ideatream reporter Anna Huntsman contributed to this report.