BOSTON (AP) — The first of five drawings for the Massachusetts coronavirus vaccine lottery is scheduled for July 26, state officials announced Friday.
Additional drawings for either a $1 million prize or a $300,000 college scholarship will be held on the four Mondays following that date through the end of August, according to a statement from the office of Gov. Charlie Baker.
The winners will be announced three days after each drawing.
Registration for the Massachusetts VaxMillions Giveaway will begin this upcoming Thursday.
Residents must be fully vaccinated before registering, but if they are not vaccinated by the registration date for a certain drawing, they can still complete vaccination and register for subsequent drawings. Residents will only have to enter once to qualify for all drawings after their registration date.
Residents age 18 and older are eligible for the $1 million prizes, while residents ages 12 to 17 are eligible for the scholarships, which are in the form of grants via a 529 College Savings Plan managed by the Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority.
The state is using federal coronavirus relief funds to pay the winners.
The lottery is designed to spur more people into getting vaccinated, Baker has said. Already more than 4 million state residents have been fully vaccinated.
