Ohio is launching another COVID-19 vaccine incentive program to give out scholarships to winners of a sweepstakes if they get the shot. But there’s a catch in this new lottery plan.
The scholarship giveaway will include people 5 to 25 years old, though the FDA hasn’t yet approved the COVID-19 vaccine for kids 5 to 11.
That means the "Vax-2-School" lottery will be postponed, in hopes that approval happens by the end of the year.
"Vax-2-School" will give out 150 scholarships of $10,000 and 5 scholarships of $100,000, with a total of $2 million in prizes.
Watch: Ohio Department Of Health announces changes to "Vax-2-School"
Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, Ohio Department of Health director, says expanding the sweepstakes is a sign of how much the state is looking forward to having this age group eligible.
"Because they go to school, being in the public space in large numbers so we've been very eager to have the opportunity to protect these 5-11-year-olds," Vanderhoff said.
People who are eligible can sign up at OhioVax2School.com beginning October 4, but only if they've received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
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