Biggest Cash Vaccination Prize Announced

New Mexico is going big in its quest to get residents vaccinated for COVID-19. The state on Tuesday announced its own vaccine lottery, an increasingly popular way to incentivize the vaccine in the US, and its grand prize is the largest cash award yet: $5 million. Overall, $10 million in cash prizes will be distributed in the "Vax 2 the Max" program, the New York Times reports. Adult residents who have received at least one vaccine dose are eligible for some prizes, but a person must be fully vaccinated to receive the big prize. Contestants also must register. At least 55% of eligible residents of the state are fully vaccinated, and the contest aims to get that number to 70%, the AP reports. Federal pandemic relief money is being used to fund the prizes. (More coronavirus vaccine stories.)