Maine introduces sweepstakes for residents vaccinated against COVID-19

PORTLAND, Maine — Maine has entered the fray to encourage more residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

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Gov. Janet Mills on Wednesday unveiled the statewide “Don’t Miss Your Shot: Vacationland Sweepstakes,” WGME reported.

One vaccinated person will win $1 for every person vaccinated in Maine by July 4, the governor announced. In a tweet, Mills said that if the drawing had been held on Wednesday, one person would win $876,655.

In Maine, 74% of residents age 12 and older have received at least one dose of a Moderna or Pfizer vaccine, or the single dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 70% of all state residents are fully vaccinated, the CDC said. That puts Maine third in the nation.

For each resident that receives a vaccine between now and 6 a.m. EDT on July 4, a dollar will be added to the jackpot, the Bangor Daily News reported.

“Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself, your loved ones and your community against COVID-19,” Maine Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeanne Lambrew said in a statement. “The sweepstakes is just one way we’re promoting these safe and effective vaccines as we all work together to put the pandemic behind us as quickly as possible.”

Every resident who has received at least one dose in Maine is eligible, Mills tweeted.

Maine residents who received their first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine in another state, but received their second dose in Maine by June 30, 2021, are eligible, WGME reported. Maine residents who received both doses or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine in another state are not eligible.

“Don’t miss your shot,” Mills tweeted.

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