DENVER (KDVR) — One day after Gov. Jared Polis announced $1 million drawings for vaccinated Coloradans, hospital systems have not reported an initial uptick in people seeking vaccination — though state officials have hope the cash incentive will help drive vaccination rates up.
At the Dick’s Sporting Goods Park vaccination site in Commerce City, the lines were short on Wednesday. Those speaking with FOX31 after their COVID jabs were unaware that their efforts could pay off financially.
“I saw the sign [advertising the drawings], but I didn’t really know if it was true or not,” said a mom getting her teenage kids vaccinated.
In Colorado, if you’re vaccinated — even with just one dose— you’re entered to win $1 million.
People can’t win the drawing and remain anonymous. Winners have to agree to go public to get the money.
The state health department said it’s working with providers to track vaccine increases but doesn’t have a clear picture right now due to a lag in reporting. CDPHE said that in Ohio, where there’s also a drawing in place, vaccination rates have increased by 28%.
The FOX31 Problem Solvers checked with HealthONE, Denver Health, UCHealth and Centura. All of those health systems said there hasn’t been an immediate uptick in interest since the governor’s announcement.
Winners in Colorado will be announced each Friday in June, and the final drawing will happen on July 7.Coloradans must be vaccinated by June 30 to be eligible for that final drawing.
The state health department hopes within the next few days to have a better idea on if the drawings are leading to an increase in vaccinations.
CDPHE said Coloradans who were vaccinated out of state may not be on file:
“Coloradans who were vaccinated out-of-state likely do not have their COVID-19 vaccine(s) on their record in CIIS. CIIS does not automatically receive vaccination data for Colorado residents from non-Colorado providers. They can contact the CIIS Help Desk, and if they provide proof of vaccination, CIIS staff can add them.”