Lottery may be among incentives to get Utahns to get coronavirus shots

Utah state official are scrambling to get people to become immunized against the COVID-19 virus in a push to reach “herd immunity.” The latest idea — that has the endorsement of Gov. Spencer Cox — would enter those who have received the shots into a lottery-style cash giveaway. Cox said he like the idea in a recent news conference. He said demand to get the vaccine has diminished recently in Utah, as it has in many other states.

“There’s nothing that says we can’t incentivize people to get vaccinated,” Cox said.

Ohio is one state that has launched a vaccine lottery. Gov. Mike DeWine announced his state will hold five weekly drawings of $1 million each, open to anyone who has received at least their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Cox said he wants to do the exact same thing in Utah in hopes of convincing those who are on the fence about the vaccine to finally get their shots.

“This is something I’m very interested in,” Cox said. “We really have to think outside the box.” He said that there is no amount of money that would be too much to spend in order to get an extra 5 percent to 10 percent of Utahns vaccinated.

Such a giveaway would require legislative approval, the governor said. The Utah Legislature would have to allocate the money. A special session of the body was held last week and may have addressesd the issue.

Cox was quick to point out that the program would not be a real lottery, which he thinks amounts to a “tax on people who are bad at math.” He explained that a vaccine drawing in Utah wouldn’t be a lottery because state residents aren’t contributing to the funds that would be given away.