CVS Health announced Thursday that it’s giving consumers who get a COVID-19 vaccine a chance to win one of more than 1,000 prizes.
Those who get vaccinated can enter to win prizes including a seven-day cruise on Norwegian Cruise Line, VIP tickets to next year's Super Bowl, a two-night stay at a Wyndham hotel, and $5,000 cash prizes for family reunions.
The drugstore chain’s “One Step Closer” sweepstakes starts June 1 and ends July 10. Winners will be chosen weekly. CVS said it’s offering the prizes as a way to “close gaps in hesitancy” of getting the vaccine.
"We're grateful for the millions of people who've received one of the well over 17 million doses we've administered at CVS Health, but we have a long way to go," said Dr. Kyu Rhee, senior vice president of CVS Health (CVS), in a press release.
Lotteries and incentives
With the pace of vaccinations starting to decline across the U.S., some companies have started offering incentives and freebies to those who get vaccinated.
Krispy Kreme is giving away free doughnuts, Budweiser is reimbursing beer purchases, Shake Shack is giving away free fries, and United Airlines is offering vaccinated people a chance to win a year of free flights. Lyft and Uber are also offering free rides to vaccination sites.
Several states have even created lottery prizes in a bid to get more residents vaccinated. Ohio recently launched a $1 million prize that led to a 45% bump in its vaccination rate. New York and Maryland have also announced lotteries giving vaccinated people a shot at winning money.
The Biden administration has set a goal of having at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine administered to 70% of the adult population by July 4 and fully vaccinating at least 160 million by that date. The latest CDC data shows that 50% of adults are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19.