Worth a shot! Engineering grad wins $1MILLION in Ohio's first 'Vax-a-Million' lotto and teen boy picks up full college scholarship as state's jab incentives boost vaccination by 45 per cent
A young college graduate from Ohio is $1million richer after winning the state's first Vax-a-Million vaccination incentive prize.
Abbigail Bugenske, of Silverton, was announced as the recipient of the coveted cash prize on Wednesday evening, after her name was selected from a random generator. More than 2.7 million Ohioans entered the competition.
Four more $1million prizes are up for grabs in the state over the next four weeks, with winners announced each Wednesday night.
Abbigail's grandmother told The Washington Post that she was in disbelief at the news.
'I kept saying, "Stop, this is a scam. It's, what, a million? No, you don't mean a million, you mean a thousand!"' she giddily told the publication.
Bugenske is an engineer at GE Aviation and a grad school student at The Ohio State University, according to her Facebook profile.
She graduated with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State just last year.
Abbigail Bugenske (right, with her mother) from Ohio is $1 million richer after winning the state's first Vax-a-Million vaccination incentive prize. She is pictured with her mom
Bugenske graduated with an undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering from Michigan State just last year
Bugenske was reportedly eager to receive her vaccine, and even pushed for her elderly grandmother to have her shots. '
'She encouraged me all the time to get it,'Bungenske's grandmother told The Washington Post, adding that she has now had both her Moderna jabs.
Meanwhile, in addition to the $1million prizes, Ohio is also giving away five full-ride college scholarships to entrants under the age of 18.
Joseph Costello, of Englewood near Dayton, was announced Wednesday as the first winner.
'We're excited that this has inspired so many Ohioans to get vaccinated, and we´re thrilled to announce the winners of the first round of drawings,' said Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine in a statement.
DeWine, a Republican, posed for a photo with Costello and his family, which he posted to Facebook.
The governor announced the vaccination incentive competition on May 12 in a bid to boost lagging vaccination rates.
The number of people in Ohio age 16 and older who received their initial COVID-19 vaccine jumped 33 percent in the week after the state announced the incentive lottery, according to an Associated Press analysis.
Joseph Costello, of Englewood near Dayton, was announced Wednesday as the first winner of the full-ride college scholarship. He is pictured front and center with Gov. Mike DeWine (second from left)
However, not everyone was impressed.
Rep Jena Powell, an Ohio Republican in the state legislature, attempted to block the state's lottery program, calling it a waste of resources.
Powell referred to the lottery as a 'grave misuse' of funds earlier this week.
More than 5.2 million people in Ohio - or about 45 percent of the state - had at least started the vaccination process as of Monday.
About 4.6 million people -or 39 percent of the state - are done getting vaccinated.
Nationally, more than 165 million Americans have started the vaccination process - almost half of the entire population.
Vax-a-Million is open to permanent Ohio residents who have received either the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or their first part of the two-dose Pfizer or Moderna vaccination.
Participants must register to enter by phone or via the Vax-a-Million website. The deadline for new registrations is just before midnight on Sunday.
Gov. DeWine announced the vaccination incentive competition on May 12 in a bid to boost lagging vaccination rates. The number of people in Ohio age 16 and older who received their initial COVID-19 vaccine jumped 33 percent in the week after the state announced the incentive lottery
DeWine's proposal inspired similar vaccine-incentive lotteries in Colorado, Maryland, New York state and Oregon.
In Colorado, Democratic Gov. Jared Polis says the state will have a weekly lottery for five residents to win $1 million. The names will be announced each Tuesday.
Colorado is similarly setting aside $5 million of federal coronavirus relief funds that would have gone toward vaccine advertising for five residents to win $1 million each.
Elsewhere, United Airlines is also attempting to incentivize flyers to get the COVID-19 vaccination by giving them the chance to win flights for a year's worth of travel.
Under the terms of their 'Your Shot to Fly' sweepstakes, members of the airline's frequent flier program who upload their vaccination records to United's website between now and mid-June will be entered to win a roundtrip flight for two, in any class of service, to anywhere in the world United flies.
The carrier is to give away 30 pairs of tickets throughout the month of June before announcing five randomly selected members for a grand prize of travel for a year for themselves and a companion.
Mega Multiplier prizes will range from $20 to $5 million, and those who receive a COVID vaccine at one of the 10 state-run sites will have a one-in-nine chance of winning a prize
However, a public health expert told DailyMail.com that, while the lotteries are worthwhile to sway those who are on the fence, they are unlikely to convince adults who are staunchly against getting the jab.
'Lynn Kamerlin, a professor at Uppsala University in Sweden, estimates around 20 percent of Americans will opt to avoid being vaccinated.
'Ultimately, the key goal across the world is to get as many shots into arms as possible, every vaccinated person is one more person with substantially reduced risk of spreading the virus further,' Lynn Kamerlin stated.
'In that sense, the lottery will likely get a group of people who otherwise would not have gotten vaccinated vaccinated, but it will hit a ceiling because eventually you will hit the people who will not get vaccinated under any circumstances.
'How to reach out to those people I am not sure.'
