Drawing to win up to $25k
Fields: Govt still hoping to achieve 200,000 fully vaccinated people by end of year
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Individuals receiving their first COVID-19 vaccine dose will be eligible to win up to $100,000 in cash prizes in a national vaccine lottery, the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee announced yesterday.
The initiative is being done in partnership with the Fox Foundation in an attempt to bolster COVID vaccine uptake before supplies expire.
We’re at about 150,000 now, which means that we have a big push; but we think we can do it.
– Ed Fields, deputy chairman, Bahamas National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee
Deputy Chairman of the National COVID-19 Vaccine Consultative Committee Ed Fields and Adrianna Fox, co-founder of the Fox Foundation, announced the lottery during a weekly press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister yesterday.
Fields advised that officials hope the initiative will help achieve the government’s goal of 200,000 fully vaccinated people by the end of the year.
“We’re at about 150,000 now, which means that we have a big push,” he said.
“But we think we can do it and if we do it, that means that we’ve arrived at 60 percent of the eligible population for vaccination…, which is a huge undertaking given the fact that the United States [is] right now stuck on 59 to 60 percent.
“So, if we get to that level, we will be up there with the big boys.
“We’ve gotten to the point where we are deep into the hesitancy pool of individuals for various reasons, and so, we have to determine how we can incentive best those who are sitting on the fence.”
Fields explained that only individuals receiving first doses between December 13 and December 31 will be eligible to win 50 cash prizes of $500 weekly.
At the end of the three-week period, all individuals who received the jab during that period will be entered to win $25,000.
“We are hoping we could just drive the number because we really want to get to that 200,000 number as quickly as we can.”
Fox explained that every week, a digital drawing will be conducted of individuals who got their first jab and the winners will be announced every Saturday on Island Luck TV.
Officials advised that there is an excess of 20,000 Johnson & Johnson Janssen vaccines that are set to expire by the end of the year due to low intake of the brand.
Fields noted that despite the challenge to offload the Janssen jab, all available vaccine shots will be included in the initiative.
“We are not in a position to tell people or to guide them in a direction that they ordinarily would not wish to go,” he said.
“…So, it is for all vaccines.
“We do mention that the Johnson & Johnson is a one-shot deal as opposed to getting two shots. It would be great if the people could do that, but this is for all of the vaccines.”
Up to yesterday, there were 146,441 fully vaccinated people in the country, including Bahamians and residents who were fully vaccinated abroad and registered their jabs with the ministry.
As of December 7, there were 22,859 total confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country.
The total number of deaths is now pegged at 705, with an additional 36 deaths under investigation.
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