an american woman won the jackpot

A woman from the southwest Ohio won the first million dollars in Vax-a-Million incentive for people to get vaccinated against the coronavirus in the United States.

A Dayton-area teenager also took the first purse full college offered by the program, the state said Wednesday evening.

The winners were chosen at random from a draw Monday, and information from the two was confirmed ahead of the official announcement at the end of the Cash Explosion of TV show. the Ohio Lottery.

The lottery announced that Abbigail Bugenske, from Silverton, near Cincinnati, was the million dollar winner, and Jospeh Costello, from Englewood, near Dayton, won the college scholarship.

“We are delighted that this has encouraged many Ohioans to get vaccinated, and we are delighted to announce the winners of the first round lotteries, ” Governor Mike DeWine said.

More than 2.7 million adults registered for the $ 1 million prize and more than 104,000 children between the ages of 12 and 17 entered the draw for the university scholarship, which includes payment of the tuition, accommodation, food and books.

A million every wednesday

Four more Million Dollar and College scholarship winners announced each Wednesday for the next four weeks.

Republican DeWine announced the program on May 12 for improve vaccination rate, which was at a low level.

The Ohio Lottery conducted the first draw on Monday at its specialty studio in Cleveland, using its random number generator to choose the winners in advance.

Participants must register by telephone or on the Vax-a-Million website. Teens can register themselves, but parents or legal guardians must verify that they meet the conditions.

Who does not win they will continue to participate in the following weeks. The deadline to register is Sunday at midnight.

“I know some might say, DeWine, you are crazy! This idea of ​​yours for the million dollar raffle is a waste of money!” Said the governor as he announced the incentive. But with the vaccines already available, the real waste “is the loss of a life facing COVID-19, ” he added.

The idea seemed to work, at least at first. The number of people aged 16 and over in Ohio who received their initial dose of the COVID-19 vaccine increased by 33% in the week after the state announced its $ 1 million lottery bonuses, according to an Associated Press analysis.

But the same review also found that inoculation rates always well below figures recorded in April and March.

Associated press