California Gov. Gavin Newsom drew 10 winners in Universal City, California, on June 15, 2021, as part of the final cash prize drawing in California’s $116.5 million Vax for the Win vaccine incentive program.
Jay L. Clendenin | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
The lottery slogan “You’ve got to be in it to win it” took on a whole new meaning this spring when certain states began offering large cash drawings for residents who got the Covid-19 vaccine.
But a new study finds that many people just weren’t playing.
The research, which was published in JAMA Health Forum, took a look at 19 states that announced cash lotteries tied to the Covid-19 vaccine and compared their vaccination trends with states that did not offer those incentives.
More from Personal Finance:
A third of jobless Americans are still long-term unemployed
Here’s how to update your budget for the fall
How to pick the best 529 college savings plan
“No statistically significant association was detected between a cash-drawing announcement and the number of vaccinations before or after the announcement date,” according to the study.
That held true even as winners of the lotteries were announced.
There could be several reasons why the lotteries did not spur more people to get vaccinated, according to the researchers.
Lottery-style drawings may inspire fewer people to act compared to offers with guaranteed cash payments.
In addition, the lottery campaigns may not have included adequate information on the vaccines. More complete messaging on vaccinations may have been more effective, the research said.
The campaigns also might not have been effective with people who are susceptible to vaccine misinformation.
