The big COVID vaccine giveaway: California offers $116.5 million in gifts and cash - and Kroger will award $1 million to 5 customers - in nationwide drive to get Americans vaccinated

  • California will be giving $116.5 million away in cash and prizes in an effort to encourage 12 more million residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday
  • Ten Californians will have a chance to win $1.5 million each and 30 residents could win $50,000 each
  • Kroger, the nation's largest grocery chain, has also launched a vaccine giveaway to anyone who gets a shot at one of their stores
  • Five customers will win $1 million each and 50 people have the chance to win free groceries for a year 
  • Ohio, the first state to launch a vaccine lottery, announced its first winners of the $1 million prize and the full-ride scholarship 
  • Vaccination rates have stalled in the U.S., dropping from an average of more than 3 million shots per day to about 2 million

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More states and businesses are launching multi-million dollar coronavirus vaccine sweepstakes, offering huge cash sums and other prizes in an effort to incentivize more Americans to get their COVID-19 shots.

On Thursday, California revealed it will be offering the country's largest pot of vaccine prize money - $116.5 million - including $1.5 million each for 10 residents.

'We're putting aside more resources than any other state in America, and we're making available the largest prizes of any state in America for those that seek to get vaccinated,' Gov Gavin Newsom said at an East Los Angeles high school where people were being vaccinated in the gymnasium. 

Meanwhile Kroger Health, the healthcare division of the largest grocery chain in the U.S., said it will start its own giveaway next week for people who get vaccinated at their stores.

Prizes will include winning one of five $1 million payouts and the chance to win free groceries for a year.

It comes as several other states, including Colorado, Maryland, New York, Ohio and Oregon, have launched vaccine lotteries and scholarship raffles to boost COVID-19 vaccination rates in their states.

The first two winners of the lottery in Ohio - which was the first state to launch any incentivization campaign - were recently unveiled with a 22-year-old winning the initial $1 million prize and a 14-year-old winning a full-ride scholarship to college. 

California will be giving $116.5 million away in cash and prizes in an effort to encourage 12 more million residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday. Pictured:

California will be giving $116.5 million away in cash and prizes in an effort to encourage 12 more million residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov Gavin Newsom announced on Thursday. Pictured: 

Kroger, the nation's largest grocery chain, has also launched a vaccine giveaway to anyone who gets a shot at one of their stores with five customers having a chance to win $1 million. Pictured: A person sports a Kroger Band-Aid after getting vaccinated

Kroger, the nation's largest grocery chain, has also launched a vaccine giveaway to anyone who gets a shot at one of their stores with five customers having a chance to win $1 million. Pictured: A person sports a Kroger Band-Aid after getting vaccinated

Vaccination rates have stalled in the U.S., dropping from an average of more than 3 million shots per day to about 2 million

Vaccination rates have stalled in the U.S., dropping from an average of more than 3 million shots per day to about 2 million

As of Friday, more than 165.7 million Americans have received at least one coronavirus vaccine dose - 49.9 percent of the population - and more than 132.7 million - 40 percent - are fully immunized, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal.

Rates are even higher among the adult population with 62 percent getting an initial dose and 50.6 percent completing their vaccine series.

However, President Joe Biden's goal is to have 70 percent of the country having received at least a first dose by July 4, meaning an additional 20.6 million need to roll up their sleeves.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Andy Slavitt, senior advisor on the White House COVID response team, encouraged states to come up with 'creative' ways to get people inoculated.

California is following that encouragement and is looking to motivate roughly 12 million people who are eligible but not yet vaccinated for its Vax for the Win campaign.

The pace of vaccination has declined from a peak of 400,000 per day to about 200,000 per day and the state is 'trying to not go off a cliff in the next week or two,' Newsom said.

However, the more than 20 million Californians already partially or fully vaccinated are also in the running for the most valuable prizes.   

Ten residents will have a chance to win $1.5 million apiece, the largest single award offered in any state, and 30 people could win $50,000 each. 

In addition, the state will give $50 gift cards either for general use or for specific grocery stores - such as Albertson, Ralphs and Safeway - to the next two million people who get shots, including those at the school where Newsom spoke.

'These are real incentives. These are an opportunity to say thank you to those not only seeking to get vaccinated as we move forward, but also those that have been vaccinated since we first availed those opportunities a number of months ago,' Newsom said on Thursday. 

Newsom, a freshman Democrat facing a likely recall election in the fall, defended the spending as smart policy aimed at ensuring more than 70 percent of eligible people are inoculated before the state fully reopens businesses and relaxes social distancing and masking rules on June 15.

The $50,000 winners will be selected on two dates, half on June 4 and half on June 11, with the grand prizes be drawn on June 15. 

President Joe Biden's goal is to have 70% of the country having received at least a first dose by July 4, meaning an additional 20.6 million need to roll up their sleeves

President Joe Biden's goal is to have 70% of the country having received at least a first dose by July 4, meaning an additional 20.6 million need to roll up their sleeves

Anyone 12 and older who has received at least one shot will be eligible and, if any under-18s win, the money will be put in a savings account until they are an adult, according to the Los Angeles Times

Money for the prizes will come from the state's disaster response account, which will be reimbursed by federal coronavirus relief money, said Amelia Matier, a Newsom spokeswoman.

When asked if the expense is worth it, the governor replied that the 'cost of not getting vaccinated is exponentially, incalculably higher.'

On Thursday, Kroger announced its own giveaway to encourage more American adults and adolescents to get vaccinated against coronavirus.

Anyone vaccinated at Kroger Health will be enrolled in the lottery . Five customers will have a chance to win a $1 million prize and 50 customers will win free groceries for a year. 

'The faster we reach community immunity, the sooner we can all get back to enjoying backyard barbecues, live music and gathering for special occasions,' Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO, said in a statement

'As an employer, grocery provider, and community partner, the #CommunityImmunity giveaway is another way we are doing our part to help America recover from the public health crisis and safely return to normal.'

Next week, Kroger Health will announce more details about the contest including prizes, official rules, and eligibility.

This follows moves from drug stores like CVS Health, which is raffling off including tickets to the Super Bowl, trips to Miami and the Bahamas, stays in Wyndham hotels, a seven-day cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line and $5,000 in cash prizes. 

Abbigail Bugenske, 22 (pictured), became the first $1 million winner of Ohio's Vax-a-Million contest after the first drawing on Wednesday

Abbigail Bugenske, 22 (pictured), became the first $1 million winner of Ohio's Vax-a-Million contest after the first drawing on Wednesday

Joseph Costello (center, with his parents), 14 years old and in eighth grade, became the first child in Ohio to win a full college scholarship to any state school

Joseph Costello (center, with his parents), 14 years old and in eighth grade, became the first child in Ohio to win a full college scholarship to any state school

Ohio this week announced the first $1 million winner of its Vax-a-Million contest, as well as the first child to win a full college scholarship.    

Abbigail Bugenske, 22, was driving to her family's home in suburban Cleveland when she received a call about the good news - from Gov Mike DeWine.     

'It absolutely has not processed yet. I am still digesting it - and I like to say that it feels like this is happening to a different person. I cannot believe it,' Bugenske said during a news conference. 

Bugenske said she plans to donate some money to charities and invest the rest.

She was on her way to Cleveland to look at used cars when she got the word, she said, and added: 'I think buying a used car is still in my future.'

The winner of a full college scholarship was eighth grader Joseph Costello, 14. of Englewood near Dayton.

'Very excited,' Costello said as he sat between his parents, Colleen and Rich, during the virtual news conference. 

Although it's a long way off, Joseph said he's thought about Ohio State or Miami of Ohio for college.

Colleen Costello said she got the call from the governor as she left work Wednesday. At first she thought it was a recording, then realized it was DeWine himself.

'I was really thankful at that moment that there was a bench nearby, because I needed to sit down,' she said.   

The lottery has already seen great success, with the state seeing a 55 percent increase vaccination rates for adults ages 20 to 49 in the days after the program was announced.

On Wednesday, New York Gov Andrew Cuomo announced at a press conference (pictured) that the state is raffling 50 full scholarships to children 12 to 17 to public universities and colleges in the state

On Wednesday, New York Gov Andrew Cuomo announced at a press conference (pictured) that the state is raffling 50 full scholarships to children 12 to 17 to public universities and colleges in the state

Cuomo said just 8.7% of this age bracket has been fully vaccinated because the Pfizer shot wasn't approved for 12-to-15-year-olds until May 10

Cuomo said just 8.7% of this age bracket has been fully vaccinated because the Pfizer shot wasn't approved for 12-to-15-year-olds until May 10

New York is raffling 50 full scholarships to children 12 to 17 to public universities and colleges in the state, selecting 10 winners each of the next five Wednesdays.

The scholarships will not only cover tuition, which ranges from $4,800 to $7,070 per year, but also student fees and room and board, which can cost up to $14,110.

This means that any teenager who gets the coronavirus shot could win grants with total winnings of $91,680.

Currently, 12-to-17-year-olds are the age group in the state with the lowest percent fully vaccinated at 8.7 percent. Youngsters aged 16 and over have always been eligible to receive Pfizer's vaccine, with New York letting them book appointments from April. 

But 12-to-15-year-olds were only approved to receive the jab on May 10, with take-up among that group far lower as a result. 

'It is an incentive for students 12 to 17 who are planning on going to college,' Gov Andrew Cuomo told reporters on Wednesday.

'It's going to be among a small population so your odds are good because it's only the young population that has been vaccinated. Once you get your vaccine, you go to a website, you input your information and we'll do a random drawing every Wednesday from that.

'People who received the vaccine earlier have a greater chance to win because they are eligible for every drawing, every week. It's not just for those people who get it that week.'