COVID-19 Vaccine Sign | Photo by Diana Jaber | The Wright State Guardian
The fifth and final Vax-a-Million drawing is scheduled for today. Winners will be announced Wednesday.
Gov. Mike DeWine introduced the Ohio Vax-A-Million in May in hopes of encouraging more Ohio adults to get vaccinated. However, the results of this effort are debatable as Ohioans question if the money could have been used for something more beneficial.
Has the Vax-A-Million program truly achieved its goal?
According to the Associated Press analysis of Vax-A-Million, the rate of Ohio vaccinations increased by 33% once the lottery was announced. This data indicates a significant increase in vaccinations once the sweepstakes were implemented.
However, there is debate about whether these numbers were actually due to the lottery or if those increases in vaccinations were for people who had already previously decided to become vaccinated.
An anonymous Miami University alumni believes that this lottery could be resulting in the opposite of its intended effect and further dividing undecided adults who are considering vaccination.
“As for people who are undecided, at least from those I know in my personal life, they say they’re worried about long-term effects on the body or about pre-existing health problems within their families. They aren’t necessarily waiting around for a monetary incentive and don’t seem to be swayed by the contests,” this anonymous source said.
Was this money effectively used with this lottery?
There is debate about whether or not these funds would have been more beneficial if used to fund social programs and/or other incentives.
“The tax dollars could be used for other things such as fixing roads, giving to hospitals or creating items for society,” Wright State University (WSU) student Aisha Idrees said.
“I do think that the dollars would be of better use going directly to the Ohioans that need them. However, if more people are vaccinated and businesses are more comfortable opening back up, this will be good for Ohioans and help to get money flowing back into the economy,” Sinclair Community College (SCC) student Daniel Spires said.
This money has also been seen as a bribe and negatively impacted the intentions behind the vaccination efforts.
“I think the problem is that those who are vehemently against the vaccine and don’t trust the science behind it will stubbornly insist that they can’t be bought with incentives, and claim that such incentives are being pushed onto them so that they’ll be more willing to harm themselves with the vaccine,” an anonymous Miami University alumni said.
“Whether people want to get vaccinated or not should not be due to some benefits that may be able to be received or gained as it seems like a type of experiment where people are offered to participate due to benefits,” Idress said.
WSU student Alexander Dang views the Vax-A-Million as a great idea that has yielded successful results.
“While unconventional, I feel that the results are self-explanatory. More people have become vaccinated as this program was put in place, so I believe it was a good use of the money despite being a bit bizarre compared to how other states are handling this,” Dang said.
The Vax-A-Million’s final winner will be announced on June 23. This program’s effectiveness is currently inconclusive as the effectiveness is not definitely observed.
