Written by BRYAN ANDERSON

North Carolina health officials on Thursday unveiled the state’s latest recipients of a $1 million cash prize and $125,000 college scholarship for getting a COVID-19 vaccine.

Natalie Everett of Pineville won the $1 million before taxes, while Jessica Klima, a 16-year-old high school student and Greensboro resident, earned the $125,000 scholarship.

The lottery is open to nearly all residents who have gotten at least one COVID-19 shot. Two more contests will be held on July 21 and Aug. 4, with winners to be announced publicly the week after the drawings.

“I’m excited, grateful and it’s just very overwhelming,” Everett said during a Thursday news conference.

Kilma, who wants to become a physical therapist, said her parents jumped up and down with excitement after learning she won.

North Carolina’s first lottery winners, Shelly Wyramon and Vania Martinez, were identified last month.

Since the state announced on June 10 that it would give out $1 million each to four vaccinated adults and a $125,000 scholarship to residents aged 12 to 17, more than 225,000 residents have come in for a first dose.

Last week, demand for first doses of a COVID-19 vaccine reached its lowest level since the week of Dec. 14, 2020, when shots were just becoming available and supplies were severely limited.

Dr. Mandy Cohen, the state’s top public health official, said similar lotteries in other states, including Ohio, have boosted vaccine participation.

“We continue to focus on many ways to reach folks,” Cohen said.

Unvaccinated adults who come in for a shot at a participating vaccination site qualify for a $25 cash card, which comes in the form of a prepaid Mastercard. Adults who drive someone to get their first dose can also get $25.

North Carolina was fairly late to the game in offering financial perks and continues to lag in vaccine administration. Of the 23 states run by a Democratic governor, North Carolina is the third worst in vaccines administered per capita.

As of Monday, the state had more than 2.1 million vaccine doses sitting on shelves waiting for residents to take. Since December, state providers have either returned or refused to accept more than 4.2 million shots from the federal government due to lack of demand.

Cohen, who got the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, is calling on individuals who got the Pfizer, Moderna or J&J vaccines to explain to loved ones why they chose to get the shot. Among the perks is not having to wear a mask, even in communities where fewer people are vaccinated and spread of the more lethal delta variant is higher.

“I do feel protected from COVID, but this is where we all need to work together,” Cohen said. “The more people in North Carolina that get vaccinated, it protects each other.”

 

Photo via the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.

 

Related Stories
‹
COVID-19 Surging as North Carolina Set To Ease Restrictions
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON The number of North Carolinians in the hospital due to COVID-19 has doubled in the last two weeks, the 14-day rolling average of new daily cases has increased by nearly 200% and the share of tests coming back positive is at its highest level in more than five months. The latest […]
Most NC Nursing Home Workers Are Refusing COVID Vaccine
North Carolina’s top public health official said Tuesday that most nursing home workers are refusing to take coronavirus vaccines being offered in a state that has now become one of the slowest in the nation to get doses into peoples’ arms. In an interview with The Associated Press, Mandy Cohen, secretary of the state Department […]
Cooper Calls in National Guard To Pick up Vaccine Rollout
Gov. Roy Cooper announced Tuesday that he’s calling in the North Carolina National Guard to help accelerate COVID-19 vaccinations in a state that’s been near the bottom of states in doses administered so far. Cooper said ensuring vaccines are given to individuals “is our top priority right now.” “We will use all resources and personnel […]
Nearly All State Health Workers Vaccinated in North Carolina
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON North Carolina officials announced Monday that nearly all of the 10,000 employees working in 14 state-operated health care facilities are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. According to the state Department of Health and Human Services, 6% of workers got an approved medical or religious exemption or a special accommodation, while the remaining […]
North Carolina COVID Trends Improve Despite Low Vaccinations
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON While spread of COVID-19 remains high, transmission of the virus has noticeably declined in North Carolina over the last two weeks, according to new health department data released Monday. The data from the state Department of Health and Human Services showed a nearly 25% drop in hospitalizations in the last 14 […]
Medically At-Risk North Carolinians Can Get Third COVID Shot
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON North Carolina health officials said Monday that medically vulnerable residents with certain health conditions can get an additional dose of COVID-19 vaccine, though some have already had a third Pfizer or Moderna shot after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved it last week. The FDA signed off on the additional dose after […]
North Carolina’s $100 Reward Offer Ignites Vaccine Interest
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON Interest in COVID-19 vaccines has surged in the week since North Carolina’s governor announced that his administration would boost the financial incentive from $25 to $100 for unvaccinated residents who come in for their first shot this month. While a number of factors are contributing to people’s decision to get vaccinated, […]
More North Carolinians Getting COVID Shot Amid Delta Variant
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON More North Carolinians came in for a COVID-19 vaccine last week than on any given week over the past two months, according to data state health officials released Tuesday. More than 74,000 people were vaccinated for the first time, an encouraging sign that residents are increasingly taking seriously threats posed by […]
North Carolina Requiring State Health Workers To Get Vaccine
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON North Carolina’s health department will require workers, volunteers and others at 14 state-run health care facilities to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 by Sept. 30 unless they qualify for a medical or religious exemption, according to a memo. The Associated Press obtained a departmental FAQ about the vaccine mandate that says those […]
North Carolina Selects Second COVID Vaccine Lottery Winners
Written by BRYAN ANDERSON North Carolina health officials on Thursday unveiled the state’s latest recipients of a $1 million cash prize and $125,000 college scholarship for getting a COVID-19 vaccine. Natalie Everett of Pineville won the $1 million before taxes, while Jessica Klima, a 16-year-old high school student and Greensboro resident, earned the $125,000 scholarship. […]
›