DENVER (KDVR) — It’s now been more than a week since Colorado Gov. Jared Polis announced the state is giving away $5 million to people who are vaccinated as part of Colorado Comeback Cash.
The goal of the incentive program is to get more people in Colorado to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
But eight days since the program was announced, vaccinations are not increasing, but decreasing.
“I think that it is so far having an impact,” Polis said Wednesday before the first $1 million winner was drawn. That person is set to be publicly announced Friday.
Back on May 25, when the governor announced the sweepstakes, about 23,000 people per day were getting a COVID shot in Colorado. Now, it’s about 10,000.
“I don’t think anyone is expecting a spike,” Polis said. ” We were at a high level of vaccinations. We want to sustain that over time to keep people interested in getting vaccinated. We don’t want to see a rapid decline.”
Ohio, which has a similar giveaway, has seen an increase in vaccination rates. In fact, in the first week after its Vax-a-Million giveaway was announced, vaccine rates shot up 55% for people who are 20 to 49 years old and 94% for those who are 16 and 17.