Get a beer and a shot this weekend at a Capitol Hill brewery (Image: Optimism Brewing)
Joining states across the country looking to pull up COVID-19 vaccination rates beyond the most enthusiastic first waves of recipients, Washington announced a new lottery starting next week that will award weekly $250,000 cash prizes in addition to winnings like Mariners tickets, airline tickets, free fishing licenses, and college tuition assistance.
At the center of effort: the state’s department of health immunization database, a statewide system that tracks immunization records for citizens typically only deployed for healthcare providers and schools.
To enter the lottery, all you have to do is to have been vaccinated for COVID-19 — the state database will do the rest.
“These generous programs will encourage more Washingtonians to take this life-saving vaccine,” Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday, announcing the new “Shot of a Lifetime” program. “I hope people will see this as an opportunity to reopen even sooner than June 30th if we can stay motivated, stay informed and get more people vaccinated faster throughout the month of June.”
Inslee has set June 30th as the deadline for fully reopening the state and lifting COVID-19 restrictions. The full reopening could come earlier — when the percentage of eligible adults who have initiated vaccination reaches 70%.
According to the Washington Department of Health, around 63% of Washingtonians 16 years and older have initiated their vaccinations. In King County, that total has reached 76%. CHS reported here on the success of vaccination programs in Seattle as the city prepares to shut down its clinics including the massive megasite at Lumen Field. After mid-June the city will use its mobile teams from the Seattle Fire Department to continue COVID-19 vaccine efforts.
Washington’s vaccination lottery will ramp up next week with the first $250,000 prize awarded and then another quarter million prize will be awarded every week for four weeks for all vaccinated individuals. At the end of the four weeks, there will be an additional, final drawing for a $1 million prize.
For minors, Washington will also be offering 30 prizes of one year of tuition college credits to 12 t0 17-year-olds through the Guaranteed Education Tuition (GET program).
The state’s public four-year universities and two-year community and technical colleges will run their own $1 million drawing for free tuition and expenses for vaccinated students.
The nearly 4 million people across the state who have initiated vaccination will also have smaller opportunities for reward including tickets and suites at Seahawks, Mariners, and Sounders games, plus $1 million of gift cards to local businesses through local chambers of commerce to be given away at vaccine locations.
The incentives are open to all residents regardless of citizenship but proof of Washington residency is required. Employees currently working at the Office of the Governor, Washington State Lottery and Department of Health and their households are not eligible.
Check out more information and a list of all the prizes here.
Here in Seattle, meanwhile, the city’s pop-up vaccination clinic efforts at cafes, bars, restaurants, and parks continues. Sunday, a Seattle Fire mobile team will be at Capitol Hill’s Optimism Brewing. Clinic participants will receive a shot, of course, and their choice of a free beer or a non-alcoholic beverage.
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