West Virginia to give away shotguns, trucks in COVID vaccination lottery

WASHINGTON: West Virginia is stepping up its efforts to persuade residents to acquire COVID-19 vaccines, with the state launching a weekly lottery drawing later this month that will award $1 million to individuals who have received at least one vaccine dose.

According to the sources, starting from June 20, West Virginia will give away $1 million and additional prizes each week until August 4, when two grand prizes of nearly $1.6 million and $580,000 will be announced.

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Two new custom-outfitted trucks, 25 weekend vacations to nearby state parks, five lifetime hunting and fishing licences, five custom hunting rifles and five custom hunting shotguns are among the other prizes.

Vaccinated 12- to 25-year-olds will also get two full four-year scholarships to any West Virginia college.

"To me, the prizes are secondary to the fact that we're trying to save your life," West Virginia Governor Jim Justice said at the conference on Tuesday, at which he detailed the blitz of upcoming incentives and making an impassioned pitch for vaccination.

"For the most part all of our hospitalizations, all of our ICU units and all of our deaths are caused by people who have not been vaccinated. I'm not sure how it can get any easier than that," the Republican governor stated.

All West Virginia citizens who have had at least one vaccination are eligible for the lottery.

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