Vaccine ‘incentives’: West Virginia to give guns, pick up trucks for taking COVID-19 jabs

In order to encourage the reluctant population to get their COVID-19 jabs, and do away with the vaccine hesitancy, West Virginia on Wednesday announced a score of incentives which includes cash, pick up trucks, guns, and scholarships for free education to W. Virginia universities and many more. In a virtual press address on June 2, the W. Virginia governor announced that his state will offer $1 million cash on Father's Day, and will distribute “phenomenal” prizes each week up until Aug. 4 under the new vaccination incentive lottery. His state will give away two grand prizes worth $1.6 million and $580,000, starting June 20 for those who come forward to get vaccinated against the COVID-19. 

"And also on Father's Day, we are going to make one of you a millionaire,” governor Justice announced. 

Other lucrative incentives for getting jabbed include custom-outfitted trucks, 25-weekend getaways, lifetime hunting, and fishing licenses, customized hunting rifles, and five custom hunting shotguns. "We're going to do this program from June 20 until August 4,"  West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice said. For those aged 12 to 25 years, the US state plans to give four-year scholarships for the full course for enrolment to any of the prestigious West Virginia institutions. "The prizes to me are secondary to the fact that we're trying to save your life,” Gov. Justice on Wednesday announced at a press conference.  

"All of our hospitalizations, all of all our ICU units, all of our deaths, for the most part, are all people that have not been vaccinated. I don't know how it gets any simpler than that,” the Republican governor said. "We're going to start with the giveaways on Father's Day,” he added. 

West Virginia in the US has been encouraging people to get their first shot of the COVID-19 vaccine and win “something phenomenal.” The state recorded nearly 4,550 cases on Wednesday and that’s the lowest it has been since October 27, 2020. “Today, on June 1, we have well in excess of 75 percent of our people that are 50 years of age or older that have received their first shot.” 

'Lofty, lofty goal” of 85 percent vaccination

Gov. Justice further informed that the state hit 84 percent goal of vaccination for its 65 years of age and older, and is just about 1 percent away from “a lofty, lofty goal” to have 85 percent vaccinated that are 65 years of age and older. But the governor noted that there was an "incredible" weekend traffic count on Memorial Day, which was nearly 45 percent up from last year. West Virginia has now been following in the footsteps of Ohio’s lead on Vax-a-Million where the state distributed cash, and giveaways of outfitted trucks, handguns, and full scholarships.