First Vax-a-Million Winners to be Announced on Wednesday, DeWine Says

 

The first round of winners for Ohio’s Vax-a-Million program will be announced on Wednesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said on Monday.

The Vax-a-Million program is open to any Ohio resident who has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Eligible participants are entered into a lottery, the prize of which includes up to $1 million for adults or a full-ride scholarship to an Ohio state school for those ages 12 to 17.

The lottery winners will be chosen by a random number generator system, overseen by a representative from the Ohio Auditor.

➡@OhioLottery conducted this week's #OhioVaxAMillion drawings today. The winners will be announced on Wednesday at 7:29pm. The drawings were conducted using a Random Number Generator and observed by a rep. of @OhioAuditor. Learn about the process: https://t.co/HZkcSlk8u5

— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 24, 2021

DeWine said the winners would be announced at 7:29 p.m. on Wednesday.

The Vax-a-Million program was launched earlier this month as a way to encourage Ohioans to get the coronavirus vaccine.

As of Tuesday, more than 5.2 million Ohio residents, roughly 44.5 percent of the population have received at least the first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, according to data from the Ohio Department of Health.

DeWine said last week that the state has seen nearly a 30 percent increase in coronavirus vaccinations after the Vax-a-Million lottery was announced.

The age group with the highest percentage of those vaccinated is those ages 70 to 74, with more than 80 percent vaccinated. This grouping is followed by those ages 75 to 79 at more than 79 percent and those ages 65 to 69 at more than 77 percent.

The youngest grouping, those under the age of 19, has seen more than 9 percent vaccination rate, more than 271,000 people.

Winners will also be announced on June 2, June 9, June 16 and June 23.

Learn more about the random number generator process here.

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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with The Ohio Star and the Star News Network. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair.